Showers, laundries for homeless gain steam in CSRA

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Salvation Army has a new shower and laundry trailer for the homeless, while another nonprofit, Compass for Hope, is nearly ready to launch a laundry trailer to join the mobile shower unit it’s had for some time.

The Salvation Army on Tuesday unveiled its new mobile shower and laundry room, becoming the latest CSRA nonprofit to offer these often-overlooked services to those in need.

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The Salvation Army partnered with Aetna Better Health to introduce the shower and laundry unit.

“It’s exciting for us,” said Maj. Jonathan Raymer, area commander of the Salvation Army of Augusta.

“I think the ministry of dignity is important for those who are experiencing homelessness to be able to have that dignity of getting clean and being able to wash their clothes outside of it just being a health issue,” he said.

“You feel different after you’ve had a shower, and so many of us take clean clothes and shower for granted,” he said.

The Salvation Army has been holding a monthly Connection to Community event, and Project Refresh has been bringing its mobile shower unit to the outreach effort.

“It’s amazing. When people go in to get a shower, when they come out, their disposition changes and their outlook changes and their confidence goes up,” he said.

Now the Salvation Army can double its efforts.

“It shows people that maybe feel like the world has left them behind that that’s not the case,” he said. “It shows people who are experiencing homelessness that there are people that genuinely care about you and that want you to be able to get back up on your feet.”

Meanwhile Compass for Hope, which also offers mobile showers, is almost ready to roll out its mobile laundry unit.

Director Mike Garrison said Tuesday the showers have been a huge success, so he expects the laundry trailer to gain momentum once it’s launched within a month.

He said the laundry trailer is nearly ready, but he’d love to have a sponsor, much like the shower trailer has.

He said he’d prefer a local business, but any organization with the funding, “we would love to work with them.”

While Compass of Hope may find need for the laundry trailer in new areas, he never expects the group to abandon the James Brown Arena parking lot, where it sets up on Sundays.

“It’s a beautiful ceremony just to see when people have an opportunity to get a shower and a haircut, get some fresh clean clothing and add to the toiletries that they may need throughout the week,” Garrison said. “And it’s been wonderful having a restaurant come out with us and offer some mobile food.”

Some other Augusta groups have been thinking along the same lines with their services.

Last week, GAP Ministries in Augusta unveiled a new laundry room for anyone who might need it in the community.

“Our whole goal is to get people back on their two feet. So, we do things like photo ID, birth certificates, and prescription assistance,” Executive Director Naomi Stanton said. “This is the next necessary step for folks to be able to wash their belongings and be able to go to an interview or be able to go to your children’s school all those things.”

The Augusta Rescue Mission also recently opened a laundry room.

The mission received a grant from the Creel Harrison Foundation to help make it happen.

“We got two new washers, two new dryers, brand-new flooring, painted the entire space, and installed the sink,” said Chris Jones, executive director.

“We see men who are living in their cars, and they have jobs, but they have nowhere to wash their clothes,” Jones said.

Jones said it’s happening more and more often.

Project Refresh has been offering mobile shower services for some time after being created in 2020 with the sole purpose of providing hope and restoring dignity one shower at a time to those living on the streets or who lack access to hygiene-related services.

For more information and a list of upcoming shower events, visit www.projectrefreshinc.com.

Also in the news …

• Aetna has been active this week in helping introduce services to those in need. Monday in Swainsboro, it launched a food pantry as a part of the Lazarus Project at the Beacon of Hope Church of God on South Main Street.

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