When people want to help the homeless they usually think of providing them with money or goods like food, water, and clothes. But what about their personal hygiene? It’s just as important. Soap, clean water, a safe washing facility – these are all things that many homeless people lack access to. This is where Jake Austin steps in.
He has been helping homeless people in St. Louis, Missouri for years now, but just recently came up with a brilliant idea: Austin bought an old truck from Craigslist for $5,000 and transformed it into a mobile shower unit called “Shower to the People”. The mobile shower on wheels contains two shower stalls and a long row of sinks and mirrors, plus volunteers give out free soap for people using the unit. Water is taken from fire hydrants and is warmed up with the help of an external generator.
“Good hygiene promotes health, fosters hope, and restores dignity to those who may have lost it.” – Austin explains.
This is the finished product, “Shower to the People”…
It contains two shower stalls
And some sinks and mirrors
People using the showers are provided with clean towels
A safe washing facility
And free bath supplies
Based in St. Louis, but plans to to expand to other cities
A hot shower won’t solve all problems, but it’s a step forward
And it’s a good start to what – hopefully – will be a good day
Kudos to Jake Austin for finding a simple solution to an underserved problem. Let's hope more smart people will be following in his footsteps soon.
