My Brother’s House offering free showers to those in need

By Kendra Simpson

With the hot weather St. Joseph has experienced lately, Community Missions is doing what it can to help everyone feel cool and comfortable.

Community Missions’ homeless shelter, also known as My Brother’s House, opened its bathroom and showers for those without regular access to these utilities.

“How do we as an organization uplift those individuals,” Community Missions Executive Director Rachael Bittiker said. “We know that being able to use the restroom and have a shower, there’s some dignity in that.”

Last year alone, the nonprofit was able to provide over 650 showers for the community. However, it’s not just about providing a service but also helping individuals in the area get to a state of independence.

“It’s serving the community but also it’s a time where we can start building relationships with individuals that we may have not come in contact with,” Bittiker said. “Being able to provide resources for them to hopefully get to self-sufficiency, because that’s really the whole goal here at Community Missions.”

The utilities are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the cold weather shelter at 700 Olive St. All essential toiletries, such as soap, shampoo and women’s hygiene items, are provided for free.

The shower and bathrooms are open to anyone who is actively working with a case manager or street outreach at Community Missions.

The nonprofit will accept any donations the community may offer for these utilities, including soap, shampoo and other toiletries.