William Engstrom

Kensington is a community that has faced deep challenges with poverty, addiction, and homelessness. Every day, people here struggle to meet their most basic needs. Simple things like a haircut, a shower, clean clothes, or even a healing touch are often out of reach. My name is William Engstrom, and I’m a board-certified massage therapist. I know these struggles firsthand — I spent over 30 years in Kensington battling heroin addiction. Through the grace of God and my fight with kidney disease, I have now been clean for two years. Because of that journey, I feel called to give back to the same streets I once walked. This fundraiser will help launch a program that provides haircuts, showers, fresh clothes, and professional massages to people in Kensington. At first, I’ll work with a trusted local barber to offer haircuts, and as the project grows, I plan to bring my own barber to help document these transformations and share them online. Showers and clean clothes will be coordinated with local shelters and outreach centers, while I’ll personally provide massage therapy on-site. Every service will be documented and shared so donors can see the real impact their support is having. I’m starting with the people I know best — the men and women I spent years with in Kensington. My initial goal is to help one person each week with a haircut, shower, fresh clothes, and a massage. Each encounter is a chance to restore dignity, offer kindness, and inspire hope. More than just a fresh look, I hope these moments of connection will encourage people to take the next step toward rehab or recovery, just as I did. If even one person makes that choice because of this project, it will all be worth it.