New free showers for homeless in Colorado Springs are a popular addition

Nov. 30—After a few days of wearing the same clothes, hauling the same backpack and walking the same route to find food and a place to sleep, people who live on the streets, in tents or out of their cars start to stink.

After a week, the odor emanating from their bodies can be unbearable, say those who wear the shoes of the homeless.

And there are only a few places in Colorado Springs where they can indulge in more than a sink bath.

"A lot of people can't get to a shower," said Mark Downey, who said he's homeless off and on.

He and other street people are praising a new facility, Shower to the People, which provides free showers twice a week and supplies for men and women needing to clean up.

"The showers are great," Downey said Wednesday while congregating with friends on a sidewalk in Old Colorado City. "It does make somebody feel better about themselves."

The coronavirus pandemic delayed the project, but with more than $250,000 in monetary and in-kind donations, a 100-year-old carriage house behind The Sanctuary Church has been transformed from horse-and-buggy storage in the 1800s to a first-class bathhouse of the 21st century.

The light, airy, warm interior with four private showers, one of which is accessible to people in wheelchairs, a sink for shaving and brushing teeth, and a toilet stall fulfills its purpose, said Charlie Parnell, who with his wife, Barb, orchestrated the project in conjunction with The Sanctuary Church.

"It's about building dignity in people who feel like they've lost everything, and they're looked down upon," Charlie Parnell said.

"We could have cut costs, but we wanted to make it first-rate because that's part of the dignity — for it to look as if you're seeing the best among us."

The building opened in April in the parking lot of the church at 1930 W. Colorado Ave.

The number of complimentary showers is nearing 1,300 and counting, said Jason Bohac, outreach pastor at The Sanctuary Church.

From 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays, about 40 people enjoy 20-minute showers, which includes time for dressing, washing, drying and redressing, he said.

Supplies such as towels, soap, shampoo, shaving cream, toothpaste and hygiene products also are provided. And stalls are sanitized after each use.

Guests can shave, brush their teeth and fix their hair after exiting a stall, Bohac said. Volunteer barbers show up on some days to give free haircuts.

The church in November opened the showers from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays, drawing up to 10 people as the word spreads.

"For a lot of people, a shower is the make-or-break difference on a job interview," Bohac said. "It gives them confidence."

For many, it's their only bathing opportunity in a given week, he said.

One man told Bohac he hadn't showered in two months.

"The relief on his face was apparent," Bohac said. "You feel like a human again."

Men and women also can pick out free fresh underwear and socks, a perk Downey said he couldn't believe.

Because who doesn't love a pair of new underwear?

Downey said he tries to arrive early for a shower because the line can be long.

The service is first-come, first-served, Bohac said. A waiting list starts after slots are filled, with some people on the waiting list making the cut to use a shower stall.

The ministry has increased the church's utility costs by $500 to $750 a month, Bohac said.

Volunteers are needed, he said, and other faith-based groups are being sought to add more shower days.

For more information, contact Bohac at community@thesanctuarywestside.org, or call the church at 719-634-7232.

Springs Rescue Mission, the city's only homeless shelter for single men and women, has 16 showers open to the public in the resource center on its campus at 5 E. Las Vegas St.

The showers are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day of the week and require signing up, said spokesman Cameron Moix.

"We average at least 200 a day and have towels and toiletries available," he said.

The resource center also has laundry services.

Additional showers for people in the shelter's advanced programs also are available, Moix said.

Pilot Travel Center, 15455 Terrazzo Drive in Monument, has a public shower facility that costs $17.43 for two hours of use.

Some swimming pools, including the Manitou Springs Aquatics and Fitness Center, also provide shower facilities to the public for a fee.