Sitting on a stool inside her freshly-painted, yellow barber shop—the recently-opened AFROS on Pacific Avenue—fifth-generation barber Teves Lee recounts proudly and humbly the story of how she got to where she is today: a local business owner and the founder of Haven of Hope, a nonprofit serving Long Beach’s homeless population.
Shortly after closing the doors of her first barber shop, AFROS of Hollywood, in 2003, Lee encountered a troubled period that left her wandering the streets of LA, bouncing between countless homeless programs and shelters that would ultimately fail her. Eventually, Lee landed in jail. Upon parole three years later, she recalled her experiences with homelessness and was compelled to create a shelter in Long Beach to help others avoid the problems and pitfalls she had encountered.
But Lee was released from prison with barely any resources. She remains surprised at how much support she received as Haven of Hope launched. “I had no idea how easy it would be to meet such a great need in the city or how easily the doors would open,” she says. With the help of her cofounder and partner, Vonetta Mobley, Lee opened the first Haven of Hope house in May of 2008, serving homeless families and individuals in Long Beach and providing free on-site childcare, life-skills training and interview workshops.
Despite receiving no financial support from the government, Lee and Mobley recently opened Long Beach’s fifth Haven of Hope. Lee recognizes that none of this would have been possible without the unending and indispensable support of the people in her community, who continue to donate food, clothing and other items on a regular basis.
Reflecting upon her history, Lee smiles, a reminder that we can be released from the limits of our past when we understand what we are meant to do—and have the help and support of our community. // EMILY KEY
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