Lisa Edwards: What a simple shower means when you’re homeless

By Lisa Edwards / Herald Forum

Demands for our attention are at an all-time high with the pandemic, family and work commitments. It is easy to overlook the growing needs in our community as we drive by a homeless person standing on the corner, or someone pushing a grocery cart with their personal belongings. We have become numb to the overwhelming needs of others and say to ourselves, “someone else will take care of them.”

In Lynnwood, the Jean Kim Foundation is running a Hygiene Center that is taking care of others. Operating six days a week since April 2020, the Hygiene Center, a Verdant Health grant recipient, has provided more than 8,000 showers to 738 homeless individuals during its first nine months. For homeless people, it is a chance to get clean, feel good about themselves and begin to get their life back together. Serving mostly men ages 30-70, including many military veterans, the center offers a chance to wash off yesterday’s bad day. As you can imagine, this has a huge impact on a person’s ability to feel confident and be productive.

The Jean Kim Foundation is providing a service for people who have nowhere else to go, as this is the only Hygiene Center running more than one day a week in Snohomish County. They began by offering showers, and the services have grown to include food, clean clothes and volunteers who connect individuals to community resources. Donors provide needed food, clothing and hygiene products to help sustain operations, and the Lynnwood Police Foundation donated a washer and dryer to support the Hygiene Center’s onsite laundry.

Imagine how a simple two-minute shower can change a life. The Jean Kim Foundation Hygiene Center is taking care of those who are overlooked. The next time you step in the shower, take a few seconds to appreciate the luxury of bathing within your own home. The Jean Kim Foundation Hygiene Center, 19726 64th Ave. W, in Lynnwood, accepts donations Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are looking for men’s and women’s jeans, jackets and new underwear, as well as single-serving snacks.

Lisa Edwards is superintendent for the Verdant Health Commission.