Rick Gossett couldn’t hold back his smile after exiting the shiny, white trailer.
“I didn’t want to leave,” he said.
Chrissy Jenkins smiled, too. The trailer belonged to her and marked the fulfillment of a dream two years in the making.
“It’s a God thing,” she said. “We don’t want to turn anybody away.”
Jenkins started thinking about how to impact her community in October 2016. She had just begun volunteering at different homeless shelters in the area. It was there that she diagnosed a problem – there were not enough places for the homeless to take showers.
Showered and Empowered was born.
“She’s such a dedicated community member,” said Randi Whitney, Tampa Police Department’s homeless liaison officer. “She raised over $40,000 to make this dream come true.”
It’s a dream come true for the homeless in the area as well. Some traveled 10 miles to get a shower. Jenkins set up her truck at a busy intersection off Florida Avenue in Tampa.
“They couldn’t keep me out,” said Gossett, who hadn’t showered in seven days before Tuesday morning. “It’s completely different. I feel much better. At least we have some people who care.”
The trailer only made it to Jenkins after tireless fundraising efforts. It took over two years to go from idea to reality.
“It has been worth it to see the smile on their face and to see their reaction when they come out clean,” she said.
Her hope is to set up more events in the future to help the homeless neighbors in her community.
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