Brandon Merriweather has a heart for helping others who are less fortunate. That’s why he reached out to the homeless with a clothing drive and the opportunity to get a fresh haircut and style this past weekend, at the New Life Day Center in Lexington.

“What inspired me was my passion for community development and also my passion for changing the lives of someone else,” said Merriweather, a University of Kentucky senior from Chicago. “I have always had a passion for doing haircuts, just by me working at a barbershop since I was 11 years old. I just wanted to use my God-given skills and bring it to the community and change some lives.”

Merriweather is a student in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Community and Leadership Development program. He will graduate this spring and plans to attend barber school in Chicago. He hopes to open his own barbershop and expand his business one day to include several barbershops. Brandon got the clothing drive started by putting out flyers and collection boxes in several of the college’s buildings on campus.

Merriweather said similar programs in other cities have helped the homeless be more accepted in society and encouraged them to seek jobs.

“The new clothing and new haircut may help them get a job interview,” Merriweather said.

Brandon credits his family for showing him how to give back and have a kind heart. He said the student organization Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences in which he is involved, has done a lot of work in the community and has inspired him.

“We can, and need to make sure that our community improves the lives of all of its residents, including those less fortunate,” Merriweather said.