SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – An act of solidarity has been warming up the winter of street dwellers in Praia Grande in São Paulo State. A bathing truck runs through the city’s neighborhoods with heated water and clean clothes for those suffering from the low temperatures. Volunteers from one of the city’s parishes developed the initiative.
The “Amigos do Banho” project began in late 2017 but was inaugurated in November 2018. Since then, the truck has been running through neighborhoods in the city every Wednesday. This initiative can provide approximately 30 shower baths per day with heated water.
Each person is provided with a hygiene kit, clean clothes, and, whenever available, a blanket. After showering, street dwellers are also given a meal box with rice, beans, meat, bread, and juice. In total, around 400 meals are provided, and 100 showers are taken.
According to the developer of the truck, Rubens Prado, the idea of providing shower baths to the homeless arose from the habit of going out at night to help those in need. “We have been providing meals for two years, and I got this idea after getting to know these people’s lives and hygiene conditions. I researched and managed to build this with the church’s support.”
The project was established with the financial contribution of the Santo Antônio Parish, in Praia Grande. However, Rubens points out that he does nothing on his own. A team, made up of about fifteen members of the Espírito Santo and Mãe de Deus chapels, prepares the meal rations and helps them to run the truck.
This solidarity gesture is promptly responded to by those receiving it. “A man came back to thank us, saying that when he had the bath and got the new clothes, he found the courage to return to his family and got a job,” he recalls.
He explains that, despite the gesture of love, prejudice is still a barrier when it comes to helping street dwellers: “Sometimes we don’t go out because we do not have enough clothes, because 90 percent of those who take a shower are men. There is much prejudice in donating clothes and food; they think we are encouraging these people to stay on the street,” he laments.