HIGH 5: Lopi Po’oi At Oish Barber Shop Goes Above And Beyond

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – One man is going above and beyond to give back to those in need — one haircut at a time.

If you walk into the Oish Barber Shop any time of the day, you’ll no doubt see Lopi Po’oi doing what he loves to do. His barber shop is special for many reasons, one of which is the name of the shop itself.

“Oish is a Polynesian slang word for ‘awesome,'” Po’oi said. “You know, with the name, the idea is to hand someone the mirror and when they see the best version of themselves, they’re thinking, ‘Oish!'”

There’s also the history of the place that makes Oish Barber Shop special. The barber chair sat for decades in another popular West Valley City barber shop. When that shop closed down, Po’oi decided to keep the tradition going in his shop.

“Everybody wants a haircut,” he said. “Every two week. Some guys come in twice a week. They’re probably not here for the hair cut; they just want to hang out.”

What really makes Oish and its owner special, though, is what goes on beyond the walls of the building. Po’oi likes to give back to the community by giving hair cuts to people who can’t afford it — or who can’t get to the shop.

Po’oi helps people dealing with homelessness by giving his time to cut hair and bring confidence to people in need.

“It makes them feel appreciated, you know?” he said. “They feel like somebody cares. They’re overlooked a lot of times by society … but everybody deserves to feel good.”

 

KSL 5 TV honored Po’oi for everything he’s done for his clients, for the community, and for the homeless.