ANDERSON — A black bag sits in a small, orange chair. It is filled to overflowing with combs, clippers and cords. It might as well be a magician’s bag, because with those tools, this young man is doing more than cutting hair.

He’s bringing light into lives of those burdened by poverty, homelessness and — in some cases — the demons of addiction.

One by one over the course of two hours, men pull themselves into his black and silver chair and ask for a flattop, a trim of their curls or a clean, down-to-the-scalp style. Whatever they ask, Adam Bryant Sr. gives.

And he does it for free.

“It don’t cost you nothing to help people,” Bryant says.

This place is Clean Start, a nonprofit ministry on Anderson’s west side, just on the outskirts of downtown. Many likely pass by the small, gray concrete building without even knowing what it is, or what takes place inside. But those among us who trudge along this city’s streets one step at a time — they know this place.

For the person who finds shelter in an abandoned house, or if they are lucky, with a family member, nothing is better or sweeter than clean clothes, a shower and a shave.

That’s what this place offers, all for free thanks to an all-volunteer staff and a generous community.

“This place means a lot to some of us,” says Bo Taylor. “I’ve been out there for seven weeks without a bath.”

Since March 2004, Taylor has been living on the streets. He’s a regular here, coming with his dirty clothes and getting them washed, being thankful for the hot shower provided. And on this day, he’s one of the 14 people who have sat in Bryant’s barber chair.

Bryant became a part of this place in September, when one of the volunteers here, Lester McDowell, called all the local barbers he could think of trying to find someone who would come and volunteer time at the little, gray building that means so much to the area’s downtrodden.

The 34-year-old man who picked up clippers for the first time when he was 8 years old didn’t hesitate to answer the call.

After all, as he says, it doesn’t cost a thing to help people.

That’s what Bryant learned from his grandparents, the people who raised him after his mama moved away when he was about 10 years old. In their wisdom, they taught their grandson that it is better to give.

Now, when Bryant’s not teaching students at the barber academy he opened on Ella Street in Anderson, he’s here. He’s pulling cords and combs of that magician’s bag of his, clipping away and giving some pride to those who have nothing to give back.

The thing is, though, cutting folks’ hair is more about what you do with your ears than what you’re doing with your hands, Bryant says.

“People got problems,” Bryant says. “People sitting in that chair, they want to talk. But you got to listen to them.”

As he moves his hands around, finding uneven strands of hair, clipping them silently into shape, he hears how Columbus Todd walked for 30 minutes to make it here today, how Todd is able to leave with a pair of tennis shoes that aren’t torn at the seams. Todd doesn’t have any water at the place where he’s staying. So, he walks to take a shower and to wash his clothes.

After a trim, Todd’s smiling and ready to take on the world.

“I feel like I can go and do something good today,” he says.

Another, Larry Goff, talks about how just a couple of months ago, he was ready to end his life with a bottle of pills.

“I lost my home, my land — everything — on July 3,” Goff says. “I really wanted to kill myself.”

Now he’s talking about work, about God and about those in his family who came to his rescue. Sometimes a haircut, a shower and clean clothes will do that to a person.

On this day, Bryant helps Goff take a load off.

For weeks, Goff has been calling up here, when he could, to see when the barber would be in. Today was his lucky day. So when he pulled himself into that shiny black chair, his request was simple. He wanted his near-shoulder length gray hair gone.

And when he walked away, he rubbed his clean scalp with ease and a smile on his face.

“Now I’ll be able to sleep,” Goff says.

Something tells me Bryant will, too. That’s what helping people can do for you.