Nonprofit offering mobile showers to the homeless is now way more than that

[demmiblue]

Source: Mashable

It started with a simple idea: that dignity and hygiene are inextricably linked. Doniece Sandoval was convinced homeless people deserve both, so ideas turned to action.

With the help of Google, an early investor that has donated $800,000 to date, Sandoval converted a defunct San Francisco city bus two years ago into a mobile shower unit for the homeless. She then turned the idea into a nonprofit, Lava Mae. Now, out of 5,000 entrants, she's the first recipient of the newly-formed KIND Foundation's $500,000 grand prize, for "transforming her community through kindness."

Lava Mae has upgraded from its first city bus — it now has commercial shower trailers that still offer what the people it serves said they wanted most: privacy and safety. While the original concept had six shower stalls to account for quantity, Lava Mae buses have two full, private bathrooms, one of which is large enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

The organization, which is currently expanding to Los Angeles, hasn't stopped at showers alone — its latest effort is the "pop-up care village," a pilot program featured in the video above in partnership with Project Homeless Connect and a small army of volunteers.

At the most recent pop-up in San Francisco on Nov. 29, in addition to the mobile shower bus, people experiencing homelessness could sign up for a free haircut with volunteers from Fellow Barber, and shop at a free "street store," where every guest could take up to 10 donated items.

Read more: http://mashable.com/2016/12/13/lava-mae-kind-homeless-showers/?utm_cid=hp-r-1

[niyad]

1. while that is a lovely and kind idea, why can we not find permanent, humane solutions to

homelessness (ie, housing?)

our local community has somewhere around 1300 homeless, and 500 beds. a facility is being built that will house SIXTY FIVE of the most in need, to the tune of 14 million dollars. surely, for 14 mil, we could do better?