SAN LUIS OBISPO: The Faces of the Chronically Homeless

UPDATE 7/6/2017: Our Hope's Village of SLO "Showers of Hope" program recently received an endorsement from the Police Chief of San Luis Obispo, Deanna Cantrell (see below): 

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"Hope's Village of SLO has my blessing for their "Showers of Hope" program that will allow people who are homeless (and without access to other showers) an opportunity to not only be clean but be cared for. My hope is that this will be part of supporting folks to move towards a better life. Thank you Hope's Village for your leadership on this." 
— Heidi Harmon, Mayor, San Luis Obispo, California

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“I am pleased to support the work of Hope’s Village to provide portable ‘showers for Hope’ to San Luis Obispo. Health and cleanliness should be important to everybody in the community. Providing everybody the dignity to shower is a great thing. I applaud Hope’s Village and their community partners for making this happen.”

—Ian Parkinson, Sheriff, San Luis Obispo County, Calif.

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“The San Luis Obispo Police Department is in support of Hope’s Village of SLO offering something many of us take for granted, and that is the ability to shower.  The homeless in SLO that are unable to use Prado Day Center can benefit from having access to a clean portable shower that will not only bring them dignity, but can also prevent sickness and disease."

—Deanna Cantrell, Police Chief, San Luis Obispo

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, California Showers of Hope: The unhoused people (shown below on this page) have indicated that they will be using our Hope's Village of SLO "Mobile Shower Trailer" through our Showers of Hope program, once it arrives. Each of them have given me permission to capture their image, and post it here. Come back often, as I add to new faces to this page - I hope they reach out to tug at your heart in the same way these photos reach out to me.

SANTA BARBARA, California Showers of Blessings: There is a group in Santa Barbara that has been operating a "mobile shower trailer" for the last few years. They are our source of inspiration for us, and you can find out more about them by clicking here. They created a short but wonderful video about their saga to bring dignity and humanity to the homeless folks in their area, which you can watch on you tube by clicking here. Their group is called HEAL (Health, Empowerment And Love) and they serve individuals in the Isla Vista and Goleta areas. If Santa Barbara can do it, then so can San Luis Obispo!!!

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING: We have raised the funds to purchase the "Showers of Hope" mobile shower trailer (see photo) below, and it is currently being tested and readied for "shower action" in the city of SLO. However, although the shower will be staffed entirely by volunteers, we are still fundraising to pay for operational expenses, estimated at no less than $20,000 per year. That money goes towards water, propane, soap, shampoo, towels, and other supplies needed to operate.

Donate!
• Online via Pay Pal at: http://www.hopesvillageofslo.com/giving.html  (click on donate button) or
• Send a check to: Hope’s Village of SLO, P. O. Box 100, Santa Margarita, CA 93453.  
Read more by clicking here.

Click on photos to enlarge. Photos by Tim Waag. Peace.

Easy. BEFORE

Easy. AFTER.