Come one, come all.
That has been C&C Cutz barbershop owner Craig Elston's message since Friday morning, when he opened his shop at 707 Fillmore Ave. to those seeking shelter from the arctic weather conditions.
Elston, 37, was himself stranded after going into the shop to clean hair-cutting equipment. He thought he would "knock out a few haircuts," only to realize when he finished that weather conditions made it unsafe to leave.
People started coming in to the barbershop for shelter, and by that evening, 40 people stayed overnight divided between the two large rooms, with some sleeping in the reclined barber chairs, on the floor or in other chairs. Nearly 30 stayed Saturday night.
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"It was crazy, man," Elston said. "People told me I saved their life, that in another three minutes they felt like they were going to die from the freezing cold. Some peoples' fingers were purple."
Cars remain abandoned on the Scajaquada Expressway and Delaware Avenue "S-Curves" several days after the Blizzard of 2022. The nearby 1901 Pan American Exposition neighborhood is a winter wonderland buried beneath a deep layer of snow.
Many people, Elston said, came to get some warmth before going on their way, or to charge their cellphone. Others had nowhere to go.
"They said what I did was selfless and that because of the humanity I displayed, I deserve everything that is coming my way," Elston said.
Elston invited people to shelter at the barbershop via social media, including a post on TikTok that was seen by more than 800,000 people. He was compelled to do so after watching a video on Facebook showing a person on the East Side dead in the freezing cold.
Elston paid for a group of four people to go out to an open convenience store to buy Vienna sausages, hot dogs, hot pockets and to bring back water.
"Whatever resources I had, I did what I could," Elston said.
The ordeal has taken a toll on Elston. He has barely slept since Friday.
There were also moments of tension.
"There were definitely some arguments," Elston said. "There was friction, 100%. I handled everything in the fashion it needed to be handled."
Elston kept the front door locked to avoid being blown off its hinges, and to keep snow from blowing into the shop. The door window was cracked when someone banged on it "scared for their life, asking to be let in," he said.
Some people brought Elston food. Others tried to give him money.
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"One guy, who didn't speak English, pulled out $1,000 to give me," he said. "He counted it out and tried to hand it to me. I told him no, I did it to help people and not for a payout."
With the weather improving, the number of people at the barbershop dwindled to a few on Monday. Elston said he will head home when he can drive his car, now buried in snow.
His biggest regret was missing Christmas and being unable to present gifts to his two daughters, Leah, 9, and Madison, 3.
"That was heartbreaking, but I was able to bless other people by giving them shelter," he said.
Watch as a City of Buffalo worker uses a wheel loader to plow through the three feet of snow covering Norwood Avenue in the Elmwood Village.
Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News.
