New partnership brings shower trailer to unhoused neighbors
On a sunny morning outside SVdP’s Mesa Dining Room, volunteers prepared hygiene kits, folded up towels, and made sure everything was in place for the shower trailer service to begin. Guests experiencing homelessness lined up, excited to receive a shower. Many haven’t had a chance to shower in days, for others, it’s the shower before or after they go to work.
The trailer is equipped with a shower, toilet, sink, mirror, and changing space — small comforts that mean everything to someone experiencing homelessness.
When guests are called up, they receive hygiene kits with fresh towels, soap, shampoo, and clean undergarments for a 10-minute private shower.
The shower trailer is made possible thanks to the exciting new partnership with Arizona Jews for Justice, a pluralistic Jewish organization whose mission is to empower community members to create meaningful and lasting change, as well as with Uri L’Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice organization guided by Torah values and dedicated to combating suffering and oppression. The founder and president of both organizations, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, shares the meaning behind the partnership:
"This is a new level of appreciation for Jewish-Catholic relations — to see that our faith should not divide us, but bring us together to serve humanity and ultimately serve God."
For many guests who lined up for a turn, the trailer offered dignity and a fresh start to their day.
“It feels nice to have a shower,” said Landon, one of the first guests to use the service today. “I work every day — or at least I try to — so I’ve got to shower. I’ve got sweat and dirt on me, especially with how hot it’s getting. I need a shower to feel comfortable instead of all greasy and slimy."
The trailer has been visiting SVdP’s Mesa Dining Room for the last few weeks and will now operate every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, thanks to dedicated volunteers and staff.
For SVdP’s Mesa Dining Room Manager Christel Armstrong, she’s excited that the shower trailer will be the start to more opportunities for the guests.
“I’m hopeful that access to showers can help someone boost the self-worth and confidence they need, whether it’s for a job interview or just a fresh start to take on the next challenge.”
For the team at SVdP and Arizona Jews for Justice, this is just the beginning. Their shared hope is that this trailer will not only serve people in need but also inspire more community action so that more shower trailers will be purchased and more people in need will have access to the vital resource.
