Shine

Two years ago Jake Austin was doling hygiene supplies to the homeless in a soup kitchen his parents ran in a church in Mount Vernon, Illinois. One of them thanked him for the soap, but said he had no place to use it. He had plenty of clothes and food, but hadn’t showered in months. And he had a job interview in two days. That sparked an idea Austin calls Shower to the People. He bought an old box truck on Craig’s List for $5000. Volunteers refitted it with sinks, two showers and a generator-powered water heater. Soap, shampoo and towels have been donated, and a linen supply has offered to launder used towels. The truck can hook up to fire hydrants. If it’s parked in one place for six to eight hours, 60 people can come clean. “If we give them some hope,” Austin said. “They can take the next steps. They can keep climbing.”