Showers may be a necessity for all, but they come as a luxury for some.
Soap for Hope is a program geared toward increasing the donation of hygiene products for the clients of St. Francis House due to an increase in Alachua County's homeless population.
St. Francis House, 413 S. Main St., is a shelter that has been serving the hungry and homeless since 1980. Started by Robert Baker, a local Catholic priest, St. Francis House has been a big part of the Gainesville community, offering various services such as showers, meals and housing.
Kent Vann has been the executive director since 2007.
The concept of Soap for Hope was originally meant to be a month-long drive focusing on increasing the donation of hygiene products like soap and laundry detergent. But with the summer months' high temperatures, there is a greater demand for these products.
"A shower does wonders," Vann said. "It restores a person's dignity."
Clients can come anytime between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day to take advantage of this free shower service.
Lee Smith, director of operations at St. Francis House, said the shelter is seeing a "decrease in items and an increase in people."
According to the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, there has been a 38 percent increase of the homeless population in Alachua County since last year and a 53 percent increase in the past five years.
"Our shelves at are an all-time low," Smith said. "We are also in need of non-perishable food items and cleaning supplies."
These donations are extremely important because it keeps St. Francis House from using its funding to buy readily used goods, Smith said.
Like most other nonprofit organizations, money is also a big need. St. Francis House receives one-third of its budget through grants. The rest comes from private donations.
St. Francis House's report that crunches the number of volunteer hours and tracks progress stated that 95,738 services were given by the organization from April 2010 to June 2011.
"You can see the difference you make in the community," said Denise Fanning, the volunteer coordinator for St. Francis House. "People are in need, especially with the economy."
What's special about St. Francis House is the personal interaction volunteers and employees experience while on the job.
"A lot of programs use their volunteers to work in the background," Fanning said. "I get to interact with clients and get to know them."
Fanning said she hopes there will be more volunteers in August after students come back for the fall semester, since they have played a large role in the operation of St. Francis House.
"I really think we have an advantage with having UF and Santa Fe so close," Fanning said. "They are a big part of making a difference in the lives of the hungry and homeless in the Gainesville area."
Donations can be brought in at any time, preferably to the double doors on the side of the building leading to the kitchen.
People are encouraged to call beforehand to let the staff know they can be expecting donations. There is always at least one member of the St. Francis House staff available.
If anyone is interested in volunteering or donating items, they can contact St. Francis House by phone at 352-378-9079.
