Community View
By Maryann Spikes
Cleansing Hope Shower Shuttle makes Modesto beautiful by finding a need and filling it
Nothing like a hot shower when you’re grimy to give you a fresh outlook on the day, right? I was honored to interview #GreatNeighbors Dean Dodd and Doran and Kelli Ott of Church in the Park (CitP) about the latest need they and others on the CitP team are filling: the Cleansing Hope Shower Shuttle (CHSS).
Watch our full interview and walk-through of the CHSS in the online version of this article: https://youtu.be/MVPlxmqlrDo
The guests most likely to use the CHSS are parents living out of cars and trying to keep things as normal as possible for their kids, unemployed veterans just needing a shower before heading out to a job interview, and folks not willing to part with their animal or opposite-sex friend so they can get a shower in the shelter.
Some highlights from our walk-through of the shuttle include donated Scorpion non-slip surfacing, ADA-compliant wheelchair-accessible showers, predictable scheduling and strategic locations, and timers that show the time limits counting down – about 10 minutes for self-initiated showering, and 25 minutes overall once the curtain is drawn.
Disinfecting. After I shared our interview on Facebook, I learned that between each shower there will be a disinfecting process using a top-of-the-line, non-toxic sterilizer called Vitol Oxide. Though expensive, Vitol Oxide is completely green and hospital-friendly. That’s why Lava Mae, the nearest shower shuttle in San Francisco, uses it.
Water pressure and conservation. The CHSS is equipped to conserve water with donated and locally invented High Sierra showerheads. Although the brisk spray will easily rinse even long hair, these showerheads only use 1.5 gallons of water per minute, or 15 gallons for a 10-minute shower.
Collaboration. Dean’s team will collaborate with the Homelessness Action Council by filling the need of data showing upticks or downticks in homelessness. They hope to earmark some of the monies donated to the CHSS to obtain birth certificates and I.D.s so guests are able to access social services. The CHSS will also be listed on various City and County resource lists.
The CHSS meets a need that is not filled by other service providers in most parts of Modesto, but also strategically partners with those providers (not in parks, by the way) so they fill in each other’s gaps. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb
Some important ways YOU can “go together” and “go far” to make Modesto beautiful are, 1) mail undies & socks to 612 Thrasher St., Modesto, CA 95354, 2) donate tax-deductible money at churchintheparkmodesto.org [501(c)3 nonprofit], 3) donate space for the shower shuttle at your building once a week, 4) get your sponsor logo on the back (209-324-4733), and/or 5) volunteer your time! Soon there will be a website where you can sign up to volunteer!
Look for the Cleansing Hope Shower Shuttle in the 4th of July parade, and please follow and share their progress at www.facebook.com/showershuttle!
