MIDDLEBURG – When Aylin Aviles isn’t cutting hair at Trim Barbershop and Stylists, she’s often in public cutting hair for free.
One day, she’s at the American Legion. The next is at a …
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MIDDLEBURG – When Aylin Aviles isn’t cutting hair at Trim Barbershop and Stylists, she’s often in public cutting hair for free.
One day, she’s at the American Legion. The next is at a church. She reaches out to the homeless and low-income families. If there’s a need, she’s always got a pair of scissors, clippers, a comb, a cape and, most of all, the passion to make a difference.
“When we grew up, we weren’t rich,” she said from the shop she and her mother, Susan Karsever, own at 2494 Blanding Blvd. “It’s always just been me, my mom and my sister. She’s always been raising us. I like to give back to those who are struggling and need help. I know where they came from. I know what it’s like.”
Most of the time, Aviles, Susan and Laura Davis are busy at Trim. They’ve had a steady flow of regular customers at their quaint shop for 12 years and remain the only five-star barber shop in Middleburg.
“We make everyone feel comfortable when they come in,” Aviles said. “You know, it's not awkward. We all greet everyone. How are you doing? We talk. We like to have fun. We're not strict. We're not corporate. We all play along.”
But most of all, they cut hair.
“We do it all,” Aviles said, “except waxing.”
One of Trim’s regulars is Joseph Smith, the Executive Director of the Vineyard Transitional Center in Green Cove Springs. This facility will house up to 16 newly released inmates from the Clay County jail and provide them with job and life skills to reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
Smith brought members of his church to Trim, and the stylists treated them to free haircuts.
“They are tremendous there,” Smith said. “That’s why I go out of my way to do business there. And they are great barbers.”
“They’ve brought them here a few times,” Aviles said. “We wash their hair for them, give them haircuts. There are people out there who need a job. They'll bring them in to do their haircuts for job interviews and stuff like that.”
They also offer traditional barber services, such as razor cuts.
“Most of all, we have fun,” Aviles said.
