PROGRAM EXPANDS ITS MISSION

Founder of Humanity Showers hopes to provide showers, opportunities for homeless people in North County

After launching a nonprofit that has provided hundreds of homeless people with warm showers over the past two years, the founder of Humanity Showers is expanding his mission and putting people to work while helping connect them with addiction services and housing.

“Dignity goes beyond a shower,” said Vista resident Jordan Verdin, 30, president of the nonprofit.

Verdin launched his first twostall mobile shower in 2019 and since has expanded the program to include a second two-stall shower and a six-stall shower. While still one of the newest mobile shower programs in the county — others are run by Community Through Hope, Duwara Consciousness Foundation, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and Think Dignity — his nonprofit already has the largest fleet.

His also was the only program to remain active in the early days of the pandemic last year, which Verdin said was a time when they were most-needed.

“COVID really changed what we were doing,” he said about the increase in demand and the different types of people who began showing up. “Before, it would just be people you’d see on the street. It’s interesting to see the demographic shift in the people we are serving.”

That shift included people who work but live in their cars and who needed a place to wash up because the showers they had used at gyms and colleges were not available during the pandemic shutdown. Verdin said the number of people using Humanity Showers increased from 15 or 20 a day to 30 or 50 after March last year.

Verdin’s program had a modest start 2014 with just some tubs of water and soap that were provided to homeless people at Fallbrook Apostolic Church, where his father is the pastor. A professional photographer, Verdin raised money for his first mobile shower in part by selling his photos at local art shows. Volunteers and donors soon came forward to help expand the program, which now is in three Oceanside locations and provides about 150 showers a week.

DON BOOMER Jordan Verdin holds the door for a homeless man who was taking advantage of one of the six mobile showers in the Humanity Showers trailer in Oceanside on Wednesday. Javier Blea (center) cleans the shower between clients.