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The Story of the Feet-N-More Shower Ministry:
It began with a need and a desire to help. In mid-2019, as The Church of the Palms’ members planned for hosting the homeless at the church as part of the NW Valley I-HELP program, we realized personal hygiene as a big need of our guests.
Cleanliness is a basic right of everyone; everyone deserves to feel their best. Being clean and feeling good about yourself is vital to a job interview, a key to getting out of homelessness. Poor hygiene is also a significant cause of health problems in people who experience homelessness. Cleanliness involves everything from clean clothes to toothpaste and, especially, a shower.
The Trustees at The Church of the Palms hit the wall, pun intended, when we sought a place to build a shower within our facility. We knew that the majority of I-HELP host churches would not have showers, either.
Two things came together at this time that were more than just coincidence: a vision on the part of those ministering to the homeless to provide a shower trailer and a bequest given to the church designated for social ministries. The Board of Missions and Outreach was to be the steward of the bequest, making sure it was spent as designated. A presentation was made to the Board of Mission and Outreach before the pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. On Aug 10, 2019, the M&O Board met and approved a $45,000 line of credit to purchase a shower trailer; the Church Council affirmed this action on Aug 15. Three bids from three different manufacturers were discussed by a leadership committee, and an order to purchase was made on Aug 17, 2019.
The shower trailer has three private compartments, each containing a 32-inch-by-32-inch shower, a lavatory and a bench. The trailer is air conditioned and has an on demand, liquid-propane water heater. A gasoline generator will provide the electricity, a water hose will provide the water, and a 300-gallon holding tank will contain the gray water from the showers. The trailer can provide 12 showers per hour.
In addition to servicing I-HELP host churches without showers, we made a plan to contract with communities in the NW Valley to provide showers to the homeless. We began with the city of Surprise and soon expanded to others as time and volunteers allow.
A seven-member shower trailer committee met weekly to establish protocols for use of the trailer, decided on the “wrapping” for the trailer, picked a name for the shower ministry, and much more. The name comes from the Biblical story of Jesus taking on the role of a servant and washing the disciples’ feet. Therefore, by offering showers to those in need, The Church of the Palms is following the pattern of the service of Jesus.
In partnership with city governments, churches and non-profit service providers, we provide showers that preserve human dignity, contribute to health and prepares individuals for employment. We are currently working with the City of Surprise, the Salvation Army and are in communication with other cities in the NW Valley.
“FEET-N-MORE” focuses on offering showers, but we are always inviting other service providers to be present with us when we are serving the homeless. We hope to provide medical and dental services on occasion and to distribute food and clothes on an emergency basis. We also invite social service agencies that are focused on helping the homeless to be present. The services offered are only limited by our imagination.
We dedicated the shower trailer for ministry and commissioned our volunteers on Sunday, January 3rd, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. The service was held in the parking lot with the shower trailer in the background.
Volunteers to work with the shower trailer are always welcome. We will need three to four volunteers for 4-6 hours each time the trailer goes out, with a variety of jobs needed. Training for your job is provided. Contact the church office (623.977.8359) or Max Klinkenborg (816.377.4618) if you are interested.
The Feet-N-More Shower Trailer Ministry is a prime example of the church being the church – it goes out to where the people are. Thus, it is The Palms being the palms of Jesus…the church being the church!