News
A Showerful Year
Shower the People gave more than 3,000 showers to people in our community in 2021. That made 2021 our biggest year so far. Thank you to the volunteers, donors, and other supporters who have made this possible, and to our guests who keep coming back and recommending our service to their friends.
New Times Features Shower the People
Thanks to volunteers, Shower the People gives its guests a chance to put their best foot forward. So begins the article in the SLO New Times’ January 2022 “Volunteers” issue. “We can handle all the volunteers that come because there is always something,” director Gwen Watkins said. “Our volunteers, I can’t tell you how wonderful they are. It’s fun to work with them.”
Rain or Shine!
Our guests know they can rely on us to be there even when the weather’s soggy. After all, that’s when a warm shower and dry socks feel the best.
Charging Station
Our electric charging station has been a hit. Guests appreciate the opportunity to charge up their phones and other devices while they shower or wait for a shower.
Shower The People Is an Information Hub
Shower The People has produced a series of resource information cards about free and low-cost food, water, clothing, recovery, and shelter resources in SLO and the Five Cities. We make these cards available at our greeter station to help our guests become more aware of how to meet basic needs.
Over 5,000 Showers Given!
In January of 2021 Shower the People hit the benchmark of giving 5,000 showers to the homeless in our community. This year we will continue to provide showers at our four current sites and hope to expand to an additional site in the near future. Stay tuned!
Operations Coordinator Update
by Rick
As we start seeing light at the end of the COVID tunnel, we continue to still be COVID vigilant. We use the same highly effective shower sprays, wear masks and hazmat suits, and maintain social distances. Since our restart in June with the new protocols we have experienced no difficulties. Our systems must be working! We are also seeing more interested volunteers, probably because vaccinations are becoming more widespread and people are feeling safer. We will have a returning driver now that he’s had the jabs!
Our trailer and van continue to operate flawlessly with some credit going to Rich Trailers, the manufacturer, who has sent us many maintenance parts for free! We appreciate them as well as Arroyo Grande Chevrolet who does our routine van maintenance at a reduced rate. Our equipment is splendid!
Volunteer Coordinator Update
by Claire
Since November of 2020 we have welcomed several dedicated and kind volunteers to our work crew operating our Shower the People sites. Join me in appreciating: Steve Brown and Mike VanBelleghem, drivers; Dave Bernhardt, cleaner; and Pam Garcia, Judy Staley and Pamela Werth, intake volunteers.
We have also had a steady crew of veteran volunteers and our guests are always grateful. When it is deemed safe for us all to gather in person, we look forward to a volunteer appreciation event. Any questions, drop me a line and I will respond. Many thanks! showerthepeopleslo@gmail.com
Sharing Our “Shower the People” Story
by David
“HelpSLO” is a Facebook group that, since the early days of the Covid epidemic, has been a forum for people to coordinate grassroots people-helping-people projects in San Luis Obispo County (https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpslo/). When I saw Rebecca Juretic’s fantastic video highlighting Shower the People’s work at the SLO City Library, I shared it with the HelpSLO group.I was delighted at the positive responses (107 “likes,” 15 comments).
“This is so important,” said one commenter. “Imagine having no access to a real shower. Especially needed with the pandemic and the increase in homelessness we are experiencing.”
Another wrote: “What a needed service! How uplifting it must be to get clean and get some basic essentials. Kudos to those who help bring this about!”