‘It’s easy to take a shower for granted’: Bellingham’s mobile hygiene trailer returns
Bellingham’s Lighthouse Mission Ministries is restarting its mobile Shower Connect program, which offers free, warm showers to people who are unhoused.
The program is starting up again on Thursday, July 20, at the Salvation Army’s location at 1515 Birchwood Avenue. The showers will be available weekly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday.
“It’s easy to take a shower for granted — it can seem basic and mundane, but the fact is that it’s a privilege many of our neighbors don’t have. A lot of community members who are homeless in Whatcom County haven’t been able to shower in weeks,” said Lighthouse Mission Chief Program Officer, Brittany Hargrove in a statement to The Bellingham Herald.
The Lighthouse Mission first introduced the mobile shower program in 2018, costing the organization about $21,000 to get started. The service was temporarily paused during the pandemic but has been brought to several locations in Whatcom County over the past few years. Offering the service at this new location will allow it to be offered on a consistent basis.
The service will be provided in Lighthouse Mission’s portable shower trailer which has two separate units, each with a shower, toilet and sink.
Meeting the need
The Lighthouse aims to serve between 10 and 20 people in about three hours. The goal is to eventually expand the reach with longer-lasting events.
“There’s enormous shame and embarrassment that come from a lack of access to hygiene services, and it can even prevent people from being able to go to the doctor or apply for a job. A shower represents so much more than hygiene — it represents dignity, comfort and confidence. We love to see the joy in people who come out of the shower trailer with a huge smile on their face,” Hargrove said.
Hygiene supplies and towels are provided to everyone utilizing the service. Bellingham Opportunity Council’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) will be operating the trailer.
People choosing to participate will be required to review safety rules and sign a liability waiver. Individuals in need of ADA accessibility may contact the Homeless Outreach Team in order to make special arrangements.
Public shower access
Lighthouse Mission’s Base Camp shelter also offers free showers and public restrooms. The Way Station project planned to be operational in downtown Bellingham next year will offer showers, laundry and restroom facilities to anyone on a walk-in basis.
The new Lighthouse Mission Building currently under construction in Old Town will have showers inside for guests utilizing the organization’s services. The $23 million project is expected to be completed in 2024, with $2.5 million dollars still to raise.
The scope of homelessness
The need for homeless services continues to rise. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County surpassed 1,000 people for the first time this year, according to the most reason Point-in-Time Count.
Overall, homelessness increased by 27% from last year to 1,059 in Whatcom County, according to the report, which was conducted in cities and states nationwide on Jan. 26.
Homelessness in Whatcom County was previously at its highest level in more than a decade in 2021, when 859 people were homeless — the most since the nationwide count began in 2008, according to previous reporting by The Bellingham Herald.
This story was originally published July 20, 2023 at 7:36 AM.
