Relief Society Sisters Donate to Shower Bus

     

Relief Society sisters donated clean socks and underwear to "Showered with Love Mobile Showers."  The project was initiated by Cathy Leonard (left) who is the stake Communications Director.  Suzanne Fairbanks (right) first councilor in the ward Relief Society, brought the baskets full of donations that had been collected.

   Mary Jarrard, Kelly Hanisch and Lori Behnke are three devoted volunteers who gave us a tour of the three showers inside a decorated bus.  There is also another shower with special features for the handicapped. The bus includes a hair dryer for winter months.

    The shower bus has provided over 5,000 showers since its inception. They call it "God's Bus, because he helped in every way to get it going," they said. 

   Ann Kerr interviews the "Showered With Love" staff and learned that the bus travels around Stockton and Lodi with a weekly schedule for stops. The stop in Lodi is at the Gravity Church on Central Ave. Those using the showers not only get clean clothes, but a towel, washcloth and sometimes shoes. Bags of supplies are given to each to use there, and take with them. (See picture on lower right in the above collage.)  Notice the colorful bus, decorated with scriptures. One of them is from Ezekiel 34:26:  I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.

   LATE NEWS FLASH --The full time missionaries make 100 peanut and jelly sandwiches a month to supply the shower bus users with breakfast or lunch when they are hungry.  The supplies for the sandwiches come from the church and are delivered to the missionaries at the stake center where they make up the sandwiches.  Then they are picked up and saved to be used as needed during the month to bring a little light to hungry shower takers.