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| Background and History |
| In May 1991, Robert W. Cradle opened Rob’s Barbershop, Incorporated. He was the first African-American to open a barbershop in the small community of Odenton, Maryland. Each week hundreds of patrons visited his establishment, as the barbershop grew from a one-person operation to a thriving nine-employee establishment. Yet, by his tenth anniversary in business, Rob longed to service the community beyond a traditional haircut and shave. Inspired by his faith and news articles highlighting the local barbershop one of the foremost community gathering places for a cross-section of racial groups, ethnicities and socio-economic classes, Rob decided to use his barbershop as the groundwork to build a community friendly human service organization. Therefore, in March 2000, Rob formed the Rob’s Barbershop Community Foundation, Inc. Through a public charity Rob could enlist financial and in-kind support to service the unmet needs of the surrounding communities. Therefore creating programs that benefit the well being of disadvantaged communities became the mission of the organization. By assuming such a distinguished undertaking the board and founder set their sites on three basic goals to drive its mission; addressing the lack of affordable grooming care, creating job opportunities in the grooming profession. |
| Rob started out as owner of Rob's Barbershop. He opened his own barbershop on May 18, 1991 |
| Rob creates a charitable organization in March of 2001, by raising funds from his customers |
| Distributing laundry detergent to shelters, pantries and churches from 2002 - 2008 |
| Robert Cradle and Kevin Poole providing grooming for Katrina evacuees 2005 |
| Former board members Kevin Poole and Darrian Ward constructing a new barbershop at the Helping Up Mission 2005 |
| Gifts for Grooming program provided training sessions for Agape House teens. (2004 - 2006) |
| Click on link below to see us at Anne Arundel County's, Homeless Resource Day 3/2008 |
| Rob installing equipment and products at the Gifts for Grooming sponsored salon at the Saint Vincent 's shelter Click on the photo above to see footage |
| The Gifts for Grooming program participants providing Christmas hairstyles for the children residing at St. Vincent's Center 2007 |
