(Left to right) Shower Power employees Luis Mendez, Chantal Wallace and Amma Woods provide free access to showers to Ridgewood’s most vulnerable residents.
Photo courtesy of Richard Vernon
A local nonprofit in Ridgewood is providing access to clean showers to some of the county’s most vulnerable residents. Shower power conducts a free, year-long shower program at Ridgewood Presbyterian Church, 59-14 70th Ave.
The program is aimed at homeless people, migrants and anyone who needs a fresh, clean shower. Current hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Starting August 16, service dates will be moved to Tuesday and Wednesday.
Shower Power staff provides each guest with toiletries of their choice and a clean, fresh towel. Additionally, each participant will have access to clean clothing, complete with new socks, underwear, hoodies, pants and t-shirts, courtesy of clothing brand Bombas. Guests also receive period products, snacks, water, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other personal hygiene items.
Ridgewood Presbyterian Church has indoor showers that are used by guests year-round, and are used in conjunction with the trailers provided by Shower Power. The church built the indoor showers in February after converting part of the facility into a small migrant shelter as part of a City Hall program. Due to a problem with the trailers’ power supply, only indoor showers are currently available.
Richard Vernon, Managing Director of Shower Power, explained that the program provides dignity and relief to guests who have little or no access to showers. The program typically hosts ten guests a day, many of whom are repeat guests and familiar faces.
“Some of them met each other just by coming to shower. We have a few women who are regulars who met each other by coming to shower. They have become friends and come here together,” he said.
Vernon said they place great emphasis on providing a welcoming environment for guests by cleaning the showers after each use and offering a wide range of hygiene products. “We want to make the experience as pleasant as possible,” Vernon said.
He added that Shower Power is a City package Distributor that offers large backpacks with safety features and built-in ponchos for homeless people living outside. “It’s a big deal for us to be able to give people backpacks that are designed for the realities of living on the streets,” Vernon said. Shower Power also works with a local relief organization that brings homeless people to church for showers before a doctor’s appointment or other important appointment.
He said many guests come in hesitantly, but leave after a shower feeling refreshed and even in a good mood. “When they come out of the shower and realize they can sit down and chat, we have people laughing and hanging out and just feeling much more human,” he said.
Vernon added that the organization is always looking to partner with other facilities to help those in need. A short list of requirements includes access to indoor restrooms and a securely fenced and adequately sized space for the outdoor shower trailer. Facilities with indoor showers should have unused or little-used indoor showers, private showers with space to change and store items, and hot water.
