COM M U N I T Y
“Macon” It Happen F
Jill Macon of Precision Grooming in Norman is on the front lines helping those in need through her street ministry
or the past 4 years, Jill Macon of Precision Grooming on Campus Corner has been devoting her life to those in need in her community: people experiencing homelessness.
She hosts her Taco Tuesdays at Andrews Park each Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. with all of her taco fixings prepared and ready for visitors.
It all started as a favor to a friend to help rally some people together and buy food for the homeless. Their first event didn’t go as planned, but it sparked a desire in her to continue helping others. Every first and third Saturday was then devoted to her new street ministry for the homeless in downtown OKC, cutting hair at no cost.
“We go out there and fellowship with people, hang out, laugh, cry, pray and talk,” she said.
When visiting with members of the homeless community, the first thing they often say is: “You see me. You see me as a human,” she shared. “It breaks my heart. It’s hard for me to see someone out there and not be able to help.”
“God turned it around for the good,” she remembered. “My breakdown gave me more insight and compassion for guests of the street. When I came back out in 2021, I felt shameful. I was afraid they wouldn’t receive me or was afraid I’d abandoned them.”
Photos by: Rae Lynn Payton
After moving to Norman, Macon was shocked to see so many “guests of the streets” as she lovingly calls them. The phrase was shared by the husband of a donor, and it immediately stuck with her. “I liked that way better than homeless. We all have a home, whether it’s here on earth or in eternity. We’re just passing by. I was pretty naive in my thinking because I didn’t think homelessness was an issue in Norman because it’s a college town. I was then prompted by the Lord to start up Taco Tuesdays,” she said.
24 | November 2021
Amidst the pandemic and health concerns, Macon’s efforts had to pause in 2020. She left her job of nine years and with a lack of busyness battled mental health challenges she never expected to encounter.
Macon felt led to help Tonya Eastridge start her business and in turn felt the encouragement she needed to begin her journey in building a non-profit organization to support her cause in aiding the guests of the street. “Jill is a very talented, skilled barber with a heart of gold. She cares about people, and it shows with everything she does,” Eastridge, one of the salon owners at Precision Grooming, said. Macon envisions big changes for the community through large
