The Right to Shower
Warm shower, clean clothes give Brevard’s homeless fresh outlook
For several years, Pastor John Adams has worked with Bridges of Florida Ministry helping Brevard County’s homeless. When some mentioned they bathed in a nearby drainage canal they referred to as “Palm Bay Springs,” Adams knew just what he had to do.
The revenue cycle analyst for Health First/Advent Health reached out to his old friend Lance Olinski, a former Brevard resident who founded Streetside Showers in June 2017 in Texas. In three years, the organization had grown to five locations in Texas, and Adams wanted advice on how to fundraise for his own shower trailer.
The nonprofit’s mission is to provide hot showers and personal hygiene care to the homeless community. But what it truly provides is hope.
Olinksi so happened to have a shower trailer he was not able to use due to limited staff. Adams picked up the trailer and became a part of the Streetside Showers organization.
Olinski lived in Brevard for 13 years. His parents live here and his brother, Aaron, is a local pastor.
“Our goal is to get a bigger trailer there,” Olinski said. “There is a growing need for our services. After COVID-19, there is going to be an economic wave that hits and people will need us.”
Streetside maintains the equipment and holds insurance on the trailer. The organization covers their expenses and shares the fruits of their partnerships with companies like Hanes and Unilever.
Brevard’s Streetside Showers location is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m at Mosaic Church in Palm Bay. Adams and his team of volunteers greet and register the guests, who take turns using one of the two shower stalls. After their shower, each guest receives two new underwear, three pairs of socks, and a hygiene kit with shampoo, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Additionally, Daily Bread provides an on-site clothing exchange, where participants can exchange dirty clothes for clean ones, along with a free lunch.
It takes the cooperation of the city of Palm Bay, Mosaic Church, Daily Bread, and Streetside’s volunteers to operate the showers each week. Some of the homeless guests the showers serve also donate their time, logging in participants, handing out supplies, and sanitizing stalls between showers.
“Our homeless volunteers are so dedicated,” Adams said. “ They love to do it because they feel they are giving back. They are there waiting for me every Saturday.”
Pastor Adams says the showers help restore dignity to Brevard’s homeless population.
“When they come out of that shower and you see the look on their face, it’s incredibly rewarding,” Adams said. “When you are clean and fresh, you just feel better. Some will give me a hug, with tears in their eyes. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
Streetside Showers
Volunteers can sign up at streetsideshowers.com
Cash donations accepted
Facebook: /streetsideshower
Instagram: @streetsideshowers
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