Lava Mae Launch

Lava Mae is a San Francisco non-profit; delivering dignity one shower at a time to the homeless. Lava Mae has converted decommissioned MUNI buses into mobile shower and toilet facilities.

[@LadyMaven]

I hope this catches on all over the world. Bless you.

[@42belvedere]

Good job, Lava Mae. I hope this becomes a role model program throughout the country.

[@sinaicircle]

The Skidrow Showers on Wheels of Lavamae company launched for the first time Thursday December 15th 2016. It was a success. Some of us community organizers advocates & others volunteers showed our support to Lavamae Los Angeles. Thank you.

[@LilyMonsterMeat]

Having been homeless in SF for years without a real shower, this made me cry with joy. Thanks SO much for doing this! Lets make it the norm.

[@doniece01]

Thank you, Lily. Would love to have this be the norm or better yet have no need for it b/c we've solved our homeless problem!

[@LilyMonsterMeat]

Doniece Sandoval well said!

[@LadyMaven]

BRAVO!!!! This is wonderful! On behalf of the humans of the world, thank you. One Love.

[@doniece01]

You are welcome and thank you for the kind words!

[@JZLZY]

All things are possible through caring about each other.

[@doniece01]

It is pretty cool from an engineering/fabrication point. And thankfully, we clean between each shower and do a deep cleaning at the end of each service day. We also use an amazing, totally green hospital-grade disinfectant called Vital Oxide. Kills 99.9% of all germs and is harmless to humans; in fact, it improves the water quality so our gray water is pretty clean!

[@cynbivinmaine8675]

Great Video, Doniece! I am happy everything has gone well so far!

[@theanswersisinsideu]

this is the type of change that effects the world for the better wow!

[@SimplyMayaBeauty]

What an amazing project!

[@doniece01]

Thank you!!

[@randydueck6517]

I now have a bus & think I'm going to do this with it for the homeless here in Red Bluff, CA {Supernatural Life Transition Ranch}

[@doniecesandoval5053]

Awesome. Keep us posted!

[@onjofilms]

This is fantastic! Now if I can find an office to day trade, I can finally sell my home!

[@brianhchan]

We could use this in Las Vegas. Especially during the summer.

[@andrejohnson1488]

Very nice job.

[@powderworksmedia9792]

We would like to come in visit your program! What a great idea!

[@slangoftheregions]

This is amazing

[@crusinscamp]

Crazy idea, I like it. :) Good Luck. Strap your water heaters in better, they be heavy! ( 1 gallon of water = 8 pounds, 40 gallons of water = 320 pounds, that's a lot of inertia going around a corner, yeah, I'm an engineer) Again, good luck.

[@doniece01]

Will do!

[@mremlynmousley6916]

Great temporary fix, kudos for actually doing something, however surely the main fix to to provide homes and jobs for the homeless.. local governments should be ashamed

[@joserobertogoulart7353]

My dream in Brazil. Meu sonho para a cidade que moro.

[@pamwilson6743]

I am interested in starting a nonprofit here in Orlando where we can provide something like this for our homeless community. not sure where to begin.

[@doniecesandoval5053]

+Pam Wilson Thanks for reaching out; you're one of 100s who have written to us over the last few days asking for help. And we so want to be able to but we're a tiny team and we're trying to focus on getting all our ducks in a row first. That said, on our website under Connect is a Mobile Hygiene Starter Kit. It's a good place to begin thinking about what this takes. Also, the easier route is to start with a commercial shower trailer - no retrofitting required. Send a message to Leah Filler at [e-mail]; she heads community engagement for us and is keeping a list of people who have reached out to ask for help so that once we have a step-by-step tool kit ready, we can let everyone know. Wishing you the best!

[@jraquel503]

I live in Orlando and something like this is definitely needed.

[@fayearellano9351]

I just accidentally came across this because I'm looking for community of unhoused people in sacramento area. Our church has a care fir humanity program

[@exsxpx1]

I like this idea, they need something like this in L.A. The homeless use regular bathrooms to wash up, I've witness homeless people get escorted out by security out of L.A central library for being smelly.

[@doniece01]

We've heard about the challenges in LA and are talking to different groups in Skid Row about supporting their efforts to replicate our service. With luck we'll be in a position to help soon!

[@randydueck6517]

I'm going to need some help. It's a 1966 GMC Bus.

[@jackychiwokwong]

@Lava Mae Muni 2831, must turns to shower bus at all time and never using by muni again, by the way we need a lot of the old buses turns to shower bus at all time!

[@Saitial]

Oooh... Wrong it's/its at the end there :x Novel and philanthropic idea though!

[@weasel945]

Do their clothes get washed? It's pointless for them to shower if they get back into dirty clothes.

[@DecptiveIllusion]

Not even close to pointless but the concern is valid.

[@link470]

I was thinking about this too. Maybe adding a small washer/dryer combo/stack unit on board or in future upgrades of the buses could be an option if clothes washing is needed. Shouldn't need to be large capacity like we'd expect in most homes. Only issue I could see is a shower would take considerably less time than waiting on board for clothes to finish washing/drying, and timing for when people boarded the bus would have to be optimal so loads could start at the same time and end at the same time to avoid long waits for clothes cleaning. But perhaps with a smaller load the washing/drying would be quicker.

[@doniece01]

We explored adding w/d but we couldn't accommodate them nor allow for the lengthy time it takes to clean clothes. Our partners, however, either have them or offer clothing exchange programs.

[@weasel945]

Doniece Sandoval A clothing exchange program is a great idea! I believe the idea could be taken even a step farther in the future and include a 1 day suit rental for those interested in applying for jobs or for an interview.

[@gbxtkd]

Doniece Sandoval U could put another bus, nexto to the shower bus, with similar conditions but for clothes. Grettings from Chile!

[@memyself4742]

Regardless of what you think of this idea, I like the video just from an engineering/fabrication viewpoint. but just imagine how quickly those will become completely disgusting and disease-filled. i also imagine them becoming little private shooting galleries. The more I think about it...it's a nice "warm and fuzzy" idea, but also hopelessly naive. The video seems to be 50% about that woman.

[@ErikVandermolenSF]

Can someone please explain to me what Lava Mae is meant to mean?

[@danielsherwood8649]

+Erik Vandermolen Lava Maemeans Wash Me

[@ErikVandermolenSF]

+Wilfred Sherwood Thanks! do you know if that is in another language, Spanish, Latin, or?

[@danielsherwood8649]

Yes Spanish

[@ErikVandermolenSF]

+Wilfred Sherwood thought so, none of the translation software available seems to think so though. Anyways, thanks!

[@doniecesandoval5053]

+Erik Vandermolen It's spelled, lavame, which ultimately seemed too harsh. But when people talk about their vehicles, they usually refer to them in the feminine as in "isn't she a beauty?" So we took the word and turned it into a woman's name. Mae is a very common middle name in the South