(BCN) -- A free barber shop, hangout space and community wellness center opened last week in San Francisco's Tenderloin District that offers a unique place to get a haircut or shave, connect with health experts and resources, or simply be. Dubbed "The Shop," the space is an initiative from the nonp rofit organization Glide and the city's Department of Public Health to provide a welcoming place to socialize, chat, play dominoes and other games, and connect with city health resources, with a major goal of reducing overdose deaths from opioids, according to both organizations. Glide's president and CEO Gina Fromer helped cut the ribbon to open The Shop on March 5, along with Director of Public Health Daniel Tsai and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who represents the Tenderloin on the county Board of Supervisors. Actor Danny Glover, who has been a longtime supporter of Glide, was given the honorary first haircut following the ribbon cutting. Bay Area police departments in contact with feds after warning of Iran drone threat in CA Fromer said The Shop will be a place where people can come for connection and feel seen."Everyone will be welcome here at GLIDE and The Shop," Fromer said in a statement. "The Shop will be a place and space where you can go to feel heard- where people will say 'How are you doing?' and really mean it." The Shop was based on the historic role barbershops play in Black culture as gathering spaces to connect to community and is designed to provide a "low barrier, high-trust point of entry," according to Glide. The Department of Public Health said in a statement that the space was created to try to address some of the underlying causes of health disparities in the Black community, including distrust of health care systems, social isolation, trauma and economic distress. "The Shop welcomes and serves all ethnicities and populations within San Francisco with focused expertise to meet the unique cultural needs of older Black/African American men, a population that is dying of overdose at five times the city average," DPH said in a statement. "The Shop aims to reduce overdose deaths, increase linkages to care, and promote whole-person wellness through a trusted, culturally relevant therapeutic environment."  The pilot program costs about $500,000 a year and is being funded with money from the city's opioid settlement involving multiple manufacturers and distributors of opioids. Visitors to The Shop can get help with overdose prevention education, navigate treatment options, receive individualized counseling, find support groups, and get education about treating infectious diseases, and get connected with medication that can help with substance use. Case workers will be on hand to work directly with people on housing retention and homelessness prevention, provide services for women, give family support for caregivers, and help navigate government benefits. It can also connect people with a range of services provided by Glide, including daily meals.There will also be coffee, snacks, and reading materials available at The Shop. In 2025, an average of about 52 people died in San Francisco every month from accidental opioid overdoses, according to preliminary data from the Department of Public Health. Deaths last year fell into roughly the same range as each year dating back to 2020. About a quarter of those, on average, were deaths that occurred in the Tenderloin, according to preliminary data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The Shop is located at Glide's building at 330 Ellis St. It will be open every day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Wednesday until 7 p.m. Barber and grooming services will be available Tuesday through Saturday. Counseling, case management, and support groups are available on-site Monday through Friday, according to Glide. Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc. ...read more read less