Karen Weaver's Fight for Clean Water November 2017 | Page 44

MOBILE SHOWERS
Where would you take a shower if you were homeless? A lot of people say “I'd join a
gym” - and that may be an option for some. Except it costs money to join a gym and
you'll need a bank account for the automatic debit.
In Santa Clara County in California a new nonprofit, Dignity on Wheels, has launched a
mobile shower and laundry service for the homeless. The trailer is equipped with
showers, washers and dryers and private bathrooms.
Santa Clara County is home to 4,627 homeless people without shelter, according to a
2015 point-in-time homeless census. That’s a conservative estimate, officials say, but still
one of the highest populations of unsheltered homeless in the nation.
Dignity on Wheels will provide up to 30 showers and 14 single loads of laundry a day
with one trailer. There are plans to expand the program in the coming years. Organizers
have put a call for donations of towels, toiletries, sandals and sweats.