See a need, fill a need. That’s good, practical advice; and not just for business, but also for folks looking for ways to serve. That’s the same spirit behind Project Outpour, a Charlotte not-for-profit founded by our friend, Laureen Jenkins. We’ve known Laureen for more than a few years, and were more than happy to share a small part in making her mission a reality.
Food, water, and shelter are three necessities of life.Our homeless neighbors often go without the third — and find the other two, often, by luck or the grace of God. And because their thirst can be great and water is so precious, how can anyone expect them to shower themselves in it?
Laureen Jenkins realized this one hot, summer day in Dallas, Texas, while having a conversation with a homeless man. During the course of their conversation, she learned he had spent two weeks under the searing Texas sun since his last shower.
That night, she searched for an answer. A flurry of research taught her about cities with mobile shower trailers for neighbors who have no permanent housing or who are between homes. Laureen wanted to do more than help them be clean — she wanted to help them feel clean.
Showers open to the public are a rarity, and wait times are often measured in hours. Working homeless can’t always fit showers in around their work schedules, and not all of them can or will go to shelters.
“We respect that not everyone wants to stay at a shelter,” says Laureen. But, she says, they still need the self-respect and confidence brought by feeling clean.
“It provides restoration of lost dignity,” says Laureen about her revelation. A shower is a cleanser of both body and soul, a de-stresser after a long day, a pick-me-up when tired or cold. It is a chance to feel human, and Laureen wanted homeless neighbors to feel like they were still a part of the communities around them. She wanted to build relationships and trust that would lead residents who live on the streets, back to more permanent housing and people who can help them.
When life brought Laureen back to Charlotte, she brought her idea of the mobile shower unit with her. In Charlotte, she wants to turn the idea into reality.
“I have a trailer picked out and ready to purchase,” she says. “We just need the money.”
The trailer itself would cost $51,000. After that, Laureen says she would need a truck capable of pulling it, which she estimates would cost about $30,000 used. She doesn’t mind a used truck; she just needs one that is white.
Operational expenses would be recurring — things like water, towels, propane to heat the water, soap, and razors for shaving. Then there are permits, insurance, and fuel for the truck. Eventually, she would want to raise enough money to provide a salary to someone who manages the trailer, perhaps her.
The trailer Laureen has chosen has three stalls and a 135-gallon water tank. Each patron would be given 20 minutes to shower, shave, and take care of personal business. Doing the math, that’s 27 people served in 3 hours. Because it is mobile, it can move to where it’s needed, which would help those who don’t have transportation.
Right now, Laureen says she is in the “silent fundraising” phase of the project. She hopes to launch the service by February of 2019, or sooner if possible. She is still working out details of where she can park for a few hours at a time to best serve the public’s need — and not cause a distraction for surrounding businesses. She also needs one or more steady sources of affordable water.
Laureen hopes her hometown will rally around a project that provides a much-needed service and a dose of dignity to neighbors who are often “hidden in plain sight.”
Read more about Project Outpour here: https://projectoutpour.org
If you are moved by Laureen’s mission, donate here: https://projectoutpour.org/donate/