Mobile shower service Hope Thru Soap helps metro Atlantans experiencing homelessness get a clean start
Sometimes a simple thing can make a big difference. One program is helping metro Atlantans experiencing homelessness get back on their feet in any way that they can.
Hope Thru Soap was started nine years ago after its founder discovered that one of the biggest needs for those experiencing homelessness was having access to a hot shower. The program provides free showers, haircuts, food, clothes, and more to the unhoused community.
"The original mission was to make someone's day better than the day before by giving them a chance to just take a hot shower, put on some fresh clothes, get a haircut, have a sense of family, enjoying a cookout with family, and having a block party experience," Hope Thru Soap CEO Megan VandeBogert said.
The program has grown and now hosts these showers multiple times during the week. It has expanded to Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties as well as other parts of metro Atlanta. Since 2018, organizers say they've provided more than 6,000 showers and served over 50,000 hot meals to people living on the streets.
The program runs with the help of volunteers, some from different organizations, others who were once served by the program, such as Ivory Davis.
"I was struggling, things of that nature, and one day Megan was like, 'Man, you a real nice person, I think we got an opportunity for you.'" Davis says, "Ever since then, I've been working with them and doing a lot of different things and seeing a lot of different things. It's a lot and I'm happy for it, you know."
You can learn more about the program here.