Bryan Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned. He urges us to “get proximate” in order to change ourselves and change our systems. In a TED Talk, he says:

When we situate ourselves next to people who are excluded and marginalized and disfavored and left out, at a very minimum we can find collective and institutional and meaningful ways to embrace these communities. And sometimes, it is that witness that can be transformative.

When you attend First Unitarian, you have no doubt noticed the tents around our campus. You may have wondered how we can offer support to these neighbors facing hard circumstances. We wondered that too.

Last January, with the help of Kelly Clendenon, a congregant who was formerly homeless and is in addiction recovery, along with staff and many volunteers, we opened the 13 Salmon Shower Project. The project has two main goals. One, to provide showers, hygiene supplies, snacks and clean clothing to people living on the street. The other, to get to know our church’s downtown homeless neighbors. We have made a lot of progress since then.

• We’ve hosted more than 400 guests.
• Showers, clean clothes, warm lunch or healthy snacks are available every Wednesday.
• A pool of 30 volunteer congregants offer service and experience spiritual growth. 
• The Portland Food Project (pfp) has cooked 30-60 meals every other week from the church kitchen for the shower project and to distribute to other homeless neighbors.

Each week, our guests share their words of gratitude. It is clear we are making an impact on those who visit us.

• “It’s so peaceful here and everyone is so kind.”
• After a warm shower, “I feel amazing!”
• “You can come down here and kinda get recharged. Thank you.”

Our congregants express the strong spiritual impact the Shower Project has on them. Kelly shares:

When I first began my work with the shower project I was driven by a strong desire to give back to the same community that helped me in my time of need years earlier when I was addicted and living on the streets of Portland. At the time we began building the shower project I wasn’t really concerned about how our work would impact me personally, on a spiritual level. However, witnessing our volunteers in action, week in, week out, providing such special, personalized care to each of our guests has proven gratifying beyond measure. There’s an air of empathy and compassion that fills me with joy and always leaves me feeling spiritually energized. So much so that Wednesday’s have become my favorite day of the week, hands down. As it turns out, the spiritual rewards I’ve received over the last year have far surpassed the work I’ve put in.

You can “get proximate,” too! The Shower Project welcomes new volunteers. We are seeking grants to expand our services to two days which will require more volunteers. We hope that you may consider joining our journey to get to know our unhoused neighbors and to share in this fulfilling project with other congregants. Here is a link to our Volunteer Interest Form. If you’d like to help the Shower Project, but in-person volunteering is not right for you, there are other ways you can get involved. Contact us at ShowerProject@firstunitarianportland.org.

Volunteers are hands-on and humbled:

• “The Shower Project has been a perfect volunteer opportunity for me to shift my perspective on our houseless neighbors as “other” viewing them distantly as needing our help to a view that is more inclusive and compassionate. I leave the shower project feeling uplifted and hopeful that we indeed can be here for one another.” ~LL

• “Volunteering with the shower project provided me with the opportunity I had been looking for to serve the unhoused community in a meaningful and hands-on way. I look forward to connecting with the volunteers each week as well as getting to know our unhoused neighbors.” ~CC

• “It feels so good to help out with the shower program. Often the issue of the unhoused just seems too big and daunting. Providing this real and needed help to real people is very satisfying.” ~SS

• “My first experience with street outreach was as a teenager, after my sister first went on an outing with her youth group at First Unitarian. Since then, the practice of being in community with homeless neighbors has evolved into a core part of my value system as I have grown to understand how homelessness is a symptom of trauma and oppression. Reconnecting with the church now as they graciously host our mutual aid activities is a satisfying full circle experience.” ~AJ

• “Working at the Shower Project is building a beloved community. The rewards that I experience from the people we serve far exceeds anything that I could have envisioned when I decided to volunteer. They bring me back every week. What a spiritual and uplifting experience!” ~DH

• “I always find God on Wednesdays. It’s where I feel the spirit of radical Love.” ~CH

• “I have felt so helpless about how to help the homeless people living in Portland.  I can’t do everything [to fix the problems] but I can do something. Volunteering in the shower project is something special I can do. The opportunity to feel clean and cared for is a valuable gift for people who are living on the streets.” ~MEM

• “My volunteer time is important to me because one of my top goals as a retired person is to be helpful to others. Our guests are all very good people who are in the midst of the most difficult times. At the church they can relax, snack a bit and get clean. So many have expressed their heartfelt “Thank you”. It feels good to hear that. Being there is also a great opportunity to get to know our fellow congregants better.” ~CK

• “Volunteering in the Shower Project has brought me in close touch with my UU values. I’ve met our church neighbors who live nearby. Without fail they have expressed gratitude for clothes, for being able to get clean, for lunch and snacks, and for having a place to rest in a peaceful environment. That brings smiles all around. I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know them and some of their stories through this project. Without it I am certain I wouldn’t have fostered these relationships.” ~AZ

Thank you to everyone who has had a hand in getting First Unitarian’s Shower Project off the ground and running! Your gifts of time, treasure and talent are all greatly appreciated.

Check out this interview with our co-founding project coordinator about community hygiene programs for unhoused neighbors: Think Out Loud Interview about Shower Project — OPB.org and check out our webpage.