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An uplifting video has captured the moment a hairdresser was tipped $500 by a customer eager to show his appreciation for her continued work during the pandemic.
YouTube star Steven Schapiro has made a name for himself posting hidden camera prank clips on the popular streaming platform.
However, he was eager to do something different for his latest clip and give back to those who have faced difficulties over the past two years.
Armed with a wad of bills and his trusty cameraman, he decided to mark hitting one million subscribers on YouTube by paying it forward to some of the people in his local community.
That started with a trip to the barbers for a haircut with a difference.
The already well-groomed Schapiro allowed his hairdresser Tiffany to snip just one lock of his hair off before declaring that she was done and he was happy with her work.
"I'm not charging you for that," Tiffany responded, evidently bemused by the situation.
"Well I'm paying," he replied.
"Well, I'm not taking any money so now what are you gonna do," she fired back.
"Well, how about this, do you take tips?" Schapiro asked.
Tiffany eventually relented but was shocked when a series of $100 bills were handed to her.
"Shut your face," she said in disbelief.
"You're really giving me hundreds? For a snip, snip?!"
"This is the best haircut I have had in a long time," he responded.
Reeling from this sudden, surprise moment of generosity, Tiffany began to tear up as she revealed what Schapiro's tip meant to her.
"Let me tell you the blessing that you are right now," she said.
"I needed rent money. No lie."
Schapiro responded: "You're the best, you're out here working during the pandemic, seriously, you're incredible."
Eager to ensure she had enough money to cover her rent, the YouTuber dashed out to his car to get more bills.
Overcome with emotion, Tiffany and Schapiro shared a warm embrace with the tearful hairdresser telling him: "You came down from heaven as an angel."
First uploaded to YouTube on August 8, Schapiro's video has already been viewed 180,000 times on the video-sharing site.
It has also found its way onto Reddit, with a clip of his encounter with Tiffany racking up nearly 50,000 upvotes in the space of just a day.
Tiffany isn't the only one to benefit from Schapiro's generosity in the full-length 10-minute YouTube video.
In the clip, the cameras continue to follow the prankster-turned-benefactor as he embarks on a very different kind of spending spree.
The beneficiaries include another local hairdresser, an Uber driver, a local construction worker and a man who appears to be sleeping rough.
Schapiro pays for people's groceries and in one touching exchange brings another man to tears after stumping up enough cash to help him buy a brand new bicycle.
Speaking to Newsweek, Schapiro revealed he gave away around $3,000 and believes it was money well spent.
"I'm always trying to find ways to give back, especially to those most deserving," he said.
"With the pandemic, everyone has been touched in some way or another, and those who continue to work in spaces that are uncomfortable, deserve a little something extra!"
He was especially keen to help people like Tiffany who work in the personal services sector.
"Barbers make people feel good about themselves and are paid minimally for it," Schapiro said.
"It's definitely an industry that has been affected majorly by the pandemic, so it felt like a good avenue to go down."
While he is planning on continuing with his trademark prank videos, Schapiro wants to start giving something back on a regular basis.
"I actually plan on making this a monthly occurrence," he said.
"It does so good for the community, and I'm fortunate enough to make these types of videos for a living, which earn revenue for me to rinse and repeat the process!"
About the writer
Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter, based in London, UK. His focus is reporting on ... Read more