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November 1, 2015

Showering Love with Comments for a Cause

48 Comments/ 6218/ 0

November 1st and it’s time to share Comments for a Cause on It’s Just Life.  If you are new around these parts the deal is simple.

  • Each month I choose a new charity or cause.
  • For every comment made on any blog post during the month my husband and I donate 50 cents to that cause.
  • On the 1st of each month I post how much we will be donating to that cause and announce the cause for the new month.

During October I highlighted The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.  You can read that post by clicking here.
ALZFDN-MissionStatementThis organization does some pretty amazing and important things and I am thrilled to announce that Chris and I will be donating $173 to the foundation as a result of your comments.  Way to go! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts with me in the comments.

Photo courtesy of Lava Mae

Photo courtesy of Lava Mae

Now for the exciting news.  Have you ever heard of radical hospitality?  The organization that will receive our support this month through Comments for a Cause practices radical hospitality in an amazingly simple but genuine way. Lava Mae is a mobile shower service that started in the San Francisco  area by Founder/CEO Doniece Sandoval.  By providing mobile shower facilities to homeless folks this service reaches out into the community in ways that are tangible.  Beyond that shower they also form relationships with the people who use their mobile services and treat them with the respect that they deserve. They provide much more than a shower. They want each person who steps on the bus to feel like a guest and the goal is to make each individual feel better when they leave. Their philosophy is 3 fold:

  1. Everyone has the right to be clean.
  2. Those experiencing homelessness can’t access jobs and housing or maintain health and wellbeing if they can’t get clean.
  3. With hygiene comes dignity; with dignity, opportunity.

Lava Mae takes retired transportation busses and repurposes them into mobile showers.  What a simple but amazing concept.  I was drawn into the interview posted on their website with Doniece Sandoval and you can read it by clicking on this link and scrolling to the bottom of the page and click on FAQ to read the entire interview. To help you understand a bit about why this was started in the first place please read what Doniece Sandoval wrote:

What led you to starting Lava Mae? Where did the concept come from?

It’s impossible to live in San Francisco and not be impacted by homelessness.  For years I’d wanted to help but didn’t have a clue (other than volunteering with existing organizations) how to do that.  One day in May 2012, I passed a young woman sitting on the street. She was crying and saying over and over to herself that she’d never be clean.  I knew her words had many layers but a light bulb went on in my head as I thought about how I might be able to help her get superficially clean.  That night I began to research shower resources for the homeless in SF and was shocked by what I found (approximately 16 shower stalls for more than 7,000 people).  The food truck craze was at its height and it occurred to me that if we could gourmet food on trucks and take it around, why not showers and toilets?  I did some research about this and found out that about a dozen mostly small communities around the country – all led by faith-based groups – were doing this. I talked to all of them; they told me stories of transformation. That the homeless that used their mobile showers “felt human for the first time in a long time” or “were recovering their sense of dignity.”  It’s amazing what a shower can do.

Photo courtesy of Lava Mae

Photo courtesy of Lava Mae

I was thrilled to find this and know that it will be one of my favorite causes here on It’s Just Life.  There are many ways that YOU can help.

  1.  Comment here on the blog on any post during November and you automatically have helped make a donation of 50 cents with each comment.
  2. You can go to their website here and spend some time looking around educating yourself on what Lava Mae does.
  3. You can also donate items that are needed from their list of needed items by clicking here to view what they are currently in need of.
  4. You can share on Social media to help spread the word by clicking on any of the share buttons at the bottom of this post.

I hope you are as excited about this cause as I am.  Make sure you follow Lava Mae on all of their social media outlets which are listed below.

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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Alzheimer's Foundation of America Alzheimers charity comments for a cause Lava Mae mobile showers one shower at a time San Francisco
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48 Comments

Leave a comment
  1. CMSmith
    November 01, 2015 at 06:12 am

    Good one, Beth Ann.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 07:51 am

      Thank you, Christine. I think it is a great one as well. Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
  2. dawnkinster
    November 01, 2015 at 06:18 am

    Looks like a great cause!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 07:51 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Dawn! I think this is a good one as well.

      Reply
  3. Marci B
    November 01, 2015 at 08:03 am

    very cool!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 08:04 am

      I thought so as well. Everyone feels better after a shower and this is such a great idea.

      Reply
  4. ozzieohlonemanthinktank
    November 01, 2015 at 08:53 am

    What a ingenious idea. Thanks Beth Ann for once again using your blog to shine a light on a wonderful organization. You may have left Mason City but you ar still the ripple maker.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 09:07 am

      Aw, thanks! I loved this idea and thought it needed to be shared. Looks like there are other cities that are doing it as well so maybe it will catch on in a lot of places. I miss all my MC folks but glad we can stay in touch this way! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  5. Lunar Euphoria
    November 01, 2015 at 09:28 am

    Wow! I had never heard of lava mae. Your blog is such an inspiration. I love reading about all the amazing work people are doing in the world.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 09:31 am

      Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment. I love what Lava Mae dos and think it is something that can be replicated in a lot of different ways. Everyone feels better with a shower, right? Thank you for taking the time to comment. It means a lot!

      Reply
  6. Dianna
    November 01, 2015 at 11:05 am

    How wonderful that Doniece had this idea! Great that you’re supporting it by featuring it as your cause this month.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 04:38 pm

      Thanks, Dianna. It is a pretty amazing idea but simple things like hot showers make everyone feel so much better. BTW, I loved seeing the William updates!

      Reply
  7. bocafrau
    November 01, 2015 at 11:07 am

    That is such an amazing service. It should be everywhere and I hope it grows and spreads. I’m always amazed by the things you are able to find and unearth. Awesome!!! xoxo

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 04:38 pm

      Susi–thanks for stopping by! It is a really cool thing and I hope that we can get some more folks headed their way to support them.

      Reply
  8. Sandy KS
    November 01, 2015 at 11:39 am

    This is amazing. I have never heard of such a great service. How wonderful for the homeless than someone cares. Whomever thought of this, is a person with heart.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 04:37 pm

      I totally agree with you. I am so impressed with this whole movement and hope it catches on in a lot of other areas.

      Reply
  9. Priscilla King
    November 01, 2015 at 03:55 pm

    Why limit this kind of thing to the homeless? I know Washington, D.C., would be a more pleasant place in summer if people could take showers on their breaks from work!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 04:37 pm

      I never thought about that – it might be a good thing to start as well.

      Reply
  10. Gibber
    November 01, 2015 at 04:01 pm

    What an awesome concept. I know how good it feels to have a shower say if you’ve been camping and haven’t had one in a couple of days so I can imagine how amazing it would feel for these people.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 04:36 pm

      Thanks, Gibber. I love it as well and yes—we all know how good a hot shower feels, don’t we?

      Reply
      1. Gibber
        November 01, 2015 at 09:20 pm

        We do! Grateful for them.

        Reply
  11. donnahup
    November 01, 2015 at 05:30 pm

    What a cool service! You always pick such great causes 🙂

    Reply
  12. Jennifer Flaa (@JeniEats)
    November 01, 2015 at 06:37 pm

    This is really incredible!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 01, 2015 at 06:40 pm

      such a great idea, right?

      Reply
  13. Minnesota Prairie Roots
    November 02, 2015 at 09:19 am

    What a creative and great idea! (Note the exclamation mark.)

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 02, 2015 at 09:21 am

      It definitely deserves an ! or two or even three.

      Reply
  14. Darlene
    November 03, 2015 at 11:16 am

    What a unique cause. I´m happy to support this one too.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 03, 2015 at 11:31 am

      Thanks, Darlene. I love how these things keep finding their way to me somehow. Such unique ideas and great things happen when people help each other out like this.

      Reply
    2. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 03, 2015 at 06:25 pm

      Thanks, Darlene!

      Reply
  15. Thread crazy
    November 05, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    You picked a great cause Beth Ann

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 06, 2015 at 07:26 am

      Thanks so much! I am really happy that I found this one because it can really make a difference in the lives of those who need a little dose of love and kindness.

      Reply
  16. pattisj
    November 05, 2015 at 11:53 pm

    What a wonderful idea!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 06, 2015 at 07:25 am

      Thanks, Patti. I love what they do and wanted to share it with my readers.

      Reply
      1. pattisj
        November 06, 2015 at 12:41 pm

        A friend encountered a man on the street and offered him a bag of toiletry items. He turned her down and left her with the question, where do homeless people get to shower and use them? There is a great need for this service, for those who don’t go to the Mission or Outreach centers.

        Reply
        1. Beth Ann Chiles
          November 20, 2015 at 01:49 pm

          That is a very good point. I know I have given out those very same type of bags and never thought about that. I do know that one library I used to go to had a sign posted that the bathroom was not to be used for washing up so I suspect they had a problem with that but gee whiz—it would be good to let them get clean so this idea with Lava Mae is an amazing way to help out.

          Reply
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    […] I think marketing professionals are getting more savvy when it comes to finding specialty items for different seasons.  What do you think?  Are you all in on the pumpkin craze or are you out?  My unofficial Facebook poll indicated that my followers were definitely split –either they love it or they hate it.  Let me know in a quick comment what your true feeling is about pumpkin spice. Inquiring minds want to know and it all counts for Comments for a Cause. […]

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    […] Wish my mom Happy Birthday today, will you?  She turns 86 today and a simple “Happy Birthday, Helen” in the comments will make my day and hers as well!  Thanks! Plus it all counts for Comments for a Cause! […]

    Reply
  19. Melinda
    November 10, 2015 at 03:37 pm

    Happy Happy Birthday Helen!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 10, 2015 at 05:22 pm

      Thanks for stopping by, Melinda! I really appreciate it and will pass along your birthday wishes to my mom!

      Reply
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    November 13, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    Having read this I am so very proud of my daughter that has helped so many people to have the help they need. Also, thanks for the Happy Birthdays. I had so many cards, phone calls, visit of a friend with roses and even two that called and sang Happy Birthday. I would like to say I think this is a wonderful cause.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      November 13, 2015 at 12:17 pm

      So glad you got to read all the happy birthdays ! Can’t wait to see you next week!

      Reply
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  24. Sharing is Caring - December Comments for a Cause - It's Just Life
    December 01, 2015 at 06:00 am

    […] month I chose Lava Mae to be our recipient.  You can read all about this fabulous organization by clicking here to read my November 1st post.  Lava Mae takes retired transportation busses and repurposes them into mobile showers. What a […]

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    Reply
  26. Gaylynn Fisher
    February 01, 2018 at 01:17 pm

    What an awesome way to give people some dignity…good job.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      February 01, 2018 at 04:47 pm

      I was just telling someone about this organization the other day because she had a bus she wanted to somehow convert to help homeless in the area have showers. They do such great work.

      Reply

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