Thanks to Live Fresh Inc. and the Hillsborough County Department of Homeless Services, those in need were able to have a hot shower, nourishing food and health care services all in one location Monday.
Hands of Hope at New Hope @ the Cornerstone acted as a staging area for the impromptu event. The group, a church ministry that gives assistance to the homeless and at-risk individuals in the community, sent out word to as many of its contacts as it could, informing them of the unique service being provided. The bus is based out of West Palm Beach and stopped in Plant City to show off its utilities.
Reverend Michael Swiney, director of Hands of Hope, said Plant City deals with many homeless in the area and services like Live Fresh Inc. are a great way to help those in need.
“They do live in the woods, fields, etc. and don’t have access to taking a shower,” Swiney said. “This offers them a warm shower in a safe place.”
Chris Bentley, co-founder and operating officer for Live Fresh Inc., said this portable shower station is
the first step in restoring someone’s dignity. He said he and co-founder Carlos Miller will often go and get a haircut or take a shower whenever they are feeling down and it gives them the strength to move forward.
With that in mind, they set about to create a bus in 2016 that would offer that same help to those in need. The unit has four showers, toilets and sinks and those who use its services are given a pack of hygiene products.
Rather than go to random locations, Live Fresh Inc. partners with organizations already serving the community to better reach the local population.
“I’ll never forget the very first person that used our showers was a guy by the name of Blake and he had just been released from prison,” Bentley said. “When he came out of the shower he had a smile on his face and he likened the shower to raindrops from Heaven. For us, that was the first one and it kind of gave us the excitement to push the program forward. We’re seeing the transformation right before our eyes.”
Julie Watkinson with the Hillsborough County Department of Homeless Services said lots will need to happen before the county is ready to get a similar unit of its own. However, the department made sure those who attended Monday had health care and other case management services available.
Hands of Hope alone serves more than 5,000 meals each year, not counting the meals provided by partnering entities and the food boxes they give out to the community. While the group is always in want of nonperishable food, it is currently facing several other needs.
Having outgrown its current facilities Hands of Hope is searching for a larger building. It also is in desperate need of a pickup or box truck to use to get food, as well as freezers to store it all in. The current freezers are under lease and Swiney has been renting out trucks whenever he needs to pick up large quantities of food. Those interested in donating can give at NewHopeCornerstone.org in the giving/outreach tab or by calling Swiney at 813-757-6123.
“It’s a Christian duty, but also having been, I don’t think I’ve ever been homeless, I’ve been close,” Swiney said. “Been broken? Yes. Felt like nobody cared or loved me. Brian, my co-director, and I have both felt that way. I guess it just brings happiness and pleasure, even above the Christian duty to know that we’re helping somebody’s life be better. Sometimes people just need a good friend and first of all that’s what we want to be, is a friend.”