SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A fresh haircut has a way of making anyone feel confident and ready to take on the world. However, not everyone can afford to regularly get haircuts.

That’s why one local non-profit is raising money so that more people can have that fresh cut feeling.

Jamarkus and Terry Liggins before the haircut. Photo submitted by Terry Liggins

It all started with Jamarkus, a 15-year-old boy from Sioux Falls who, until recently, had never had his haircut. But then he met Terry Liggins with the Hurdle Life Coach Foundation and volunteer Courtney Hardie.

“Courtney has a way about seizing opportunities to be generous and compassionate towards people,” Liggins said. “And we were talking and she offered to cut Jamarkus’ hair.”

“I was like, ‘Jamarkus, ya want a haircut?’ And he goes, ‘yeah!’ And then later he’s bugging Terry about when are we going to do it, when are we going to do it,” Hardie said.

Finally, the day came.

Hair that had been growing for 15 years fell to the floor and eventually a transformed Jamarkus was looking in the mirror.

“You can see the difference when you take the before and after pictures of his smile,” Hardie said. “It got a little bit bigger and so that’s what it was about.”

In those moments, Liggins was inspired.

“I said, ‘I want to do this for 100 more youth,'” Liggins said.

150 people officially become U.S. citizens

So he set up the fundraiser Cuttz for Kids with a goal of raising $2,500.

Jamarkus after his haircut with Terry Liggins and Courtney Hardie. Photo submitted by Terry Liggins.

“And, you know, I think back on my own experiences growing up in a single parent home and the challenges it was for my mother to afford a haircut.,” Liggins said. “When you are living in poverty, when you are working multiple jobs and still barely making your bills there’s a lot of things that go by the wayside and you’re not able to do for your children. Haircuts sometimes is one of those things.”

And a simple haircut can go a long way.

“Well you heard the saying, ‘look good, feel good, do good,'” Liggins said. “So I’m believing that you help a young person clean up their physical appearance, you’re going to boost their esteem, you’re going to boost their confidence and they’re going to show up in the classroom in a different way.”

Liggins hopes to at least raise enough money to give 100 haircuts and he’s partnering with local barbers to make it happen.