article by Angela Bronner Helm via theroot.com
Chris Bentley and Carlos Miller, two African-American men who have been friends since middle school, have started an innovative way to help the homeless of Palm Beach County, Fla. The two started a nonprofit—Live FRESH (Feeling Revitalized Encourages Sustainable Happiness)—and have launched a mobile shower facility, an air conditioned trailer equipped with six private shower/changing area rooms, to assist the area’s transient population.
The Palm Beach Post reports that the two chose showers specifically: “For us, that’s where dignity and self-respect starts … with the ability to stay clean and be presentable,” says Bentley. “Cleanliness is a fundamental need. We actually see it as basic human right and because the homeless population can be hard to reach, we knew we would have to come to them and make ourselves available in areas they could easily reach.”
Miller writes on the website: “To see a human being, living in the United States of all countries, walk inside a store with apprehension over being shunned or offensive to the atmosphere due to their odor or disheveled state grabbed at the core of my heart.”About 250 people have participated since the program began March 31, reports the Post.
Each participant gets a packet with personal hygiene essentials including deodorant, towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss. The organization was able to launch its fund with a $100,000 grant from Impact the Palm Beaches and smaller donations from other organizations.
To read full article and see video, go to: Longtime Friends Start Mobile Shower Facility for the Homeless in Fla.
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I LOVE this idea!! This is an incredibly beautiful piece of news in the wake of yet another traumatic news story I just read. Thank you so much for bringing the positive news to light. I highly appreciate it, and really needed it today, because I was sliding down into a dark place. Thank you for providing the balance I needed today. Peace!
Dear Juana – so happy this story helped you today. It lifted us as well!
There’s also one in Saint Louis: Shower to the People STL. So excited about these efforts! So smart and practical! I hope to do something like this someday. Congrats to Chris and Carlos!
And a washer and dryer! Clean clothing is just as important.
I was just about to add that. I think it’s important to have such facilities in every major city below the snow line. I know it gets Hhot as Heck in the South. A refreshing shower, even if it’s not very often, can do wonders for a person’s self esteem.
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beautiful