Urban Alliance creates more opportunities for community outreach with office upgrades, community partnerships and mobile showers

Having access to a shower is a simple pleasure that most people take for granted; it’s an important step in a morning or nightly routine, it takes away the grime of a hard day’s work, and helps some people rid themselves of stress. We don’t always think about how not everyone has easy access to a shower. According to a 2019 report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the homeless population in Kalamazoo has been on the rise four years in a row, now totaling over 700 people. Finding access to a public shower has gotten trickier since March, as pandemic regulations decrease the capacity of public bathing facilities. In the face of these new restrictions, Kalamazoo’s Urban Alliance is bringing a mobile shower to Kalamazoo, to give people the simple pleasure of getting clean.

“It’s a God given right to be clean and feel good about yourself,” said Jason Knight, connections coordinator for Urban Alliance.

The mobile shower will take place at The River Church on Oct. 13-16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Showers will be held in a trailer outside which houses multiple shower units. Urban Alliance is partnering with The River Church, Living Hope Church, First Presbyterian Church, Kalamazoo Public Library, Project Connect, Recovery Institute, Kalamazoo Free Methodist Church, Renovations Church, Lighthouse Church and Cope Network to provide linens, toiletries, and clothing closets. Urban Alliance is also currently working to have flu shots offered onsite.

Knight hopes that an event like this could have a lot of positive impact on the community.  Firstly, though there is often a negative stigma surrounding the homeless community, Knight hopes this event will give community volunteers an opportunity to find some common ground.

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