Helping Milwaukee homeless; shower truck provides dignity on wheels
MILWAUKEE - Hopping in the shower is a daily routine that many do not think twice about. But for some, this luxury can make a world of difference.
It is a sound that many of us hear every day. It is a visual you can almost feel on your skin.
"We wake up every morning and most of us don’t even think about hopping in the shower before we go to work," said Shelly Sarasin, Street Angels co-founder, co-director.
Shelly Sarasin
But wash, rinse, repeat is not a cycle many people without a home experience on a daily or even weekly basis.
"What a blessing to now be able to provide that for our friends," Sarasin said.
But it soon will be – thanks to Showers of Hope.
"There will be three private showers stalls on it. One completely ADA accessible," said Eva Welch, Street Angels’ founding executive co-director.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Welch and Sarasin with Street Angels Milwaukee are in the process of bringing a shower trailer to the area.
"These are actually kits; shower curtains and bathmats that we’ll be putting in the shower trailer," Welch said.
Eva Welch
They are partnering with Kohler Company and other community sponsors. The resource will be available to those living without shelter – or simply cannot afford their utility bills.
"The plan is two days a week. One day on the south side, one day on the north side of the city," Welch said.
The shower trailer will be available starting in May for three to four hour increments. Right now, it is being built in Indiana.
Welch said Street Angels will even provide transportation to the trailer site – which will also be a hub for resources.
"It’s going to give people a boost of confidence," Welch said.
Sarasin said the nearly $80,000 shower trailer is needed now more than ever. She said on April 4, 2023, they served 65 people. On April 4, 2024, they served more than 175.
"That is an unfathomable increase of people that we’re seeing unsheltered in April when it’s still cold," Sarasin said.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
While the community's homeless problem is showing no signs of slowing down, the two say they hope to at least provide dignity on wheels – and hope to fully give others a fresh start.
Street Angels is running its 4th annual Singing in the Street Karaoke for a Cause fundraising campaign. Most of those proceeds will go toward funding the shower program.