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Visalia Rescue Mission describes mobile shower unit, shelter and recovery services to Tulare County task force
Summary
The CEO of Visalia Rescue Mission presented the org's mobile hygiene/shower unit, shelter and recovery programs and said ARPA funds currently cover the mobile unit through 2026; staff reported last year's shower usage and described efforts to coordinate locations with city partners.
Michael Simmons, chief executive officer of the Visalia Rescue Mission, and Noah Torres, director of programs, briefed the task force on the agency's range of services and the newest addition: a mobile shower unit funded with ARPA dollars.
Simmons described the Rescue Mission's continuum of care, from free water access and community meals up to emergency shelter, a 12-month residential recovery program, and transitional housing for program graduates. "The showers is really it's it's it's an introduction," Simmons said, explaining that the mobile unit is intended to connect people who come for hygiene to case managers, shelters and recovery services.
Noah Torres provided recent usage statistics from the Rescue Mission's community shower sites, saying the previous year recorded 22,464 showers and 575 unduplicated clients, and noting a large number of children served by the program. Torres said the Rescue Mission tracks requests and attempts to link children to shoes, backpacks and school supports.
Simmons described the new mobile unit as two shower stalls with an office area, and said the Rescue Mission plans to operate it roughly two hours per day, four days per week, alternating days for men and women to manage capacity. He said the capital cost for the vehicle and trailer was about $120,000, and that the project is currently funded through ARPA; the contract is understood to run through 2026. "This project is primarily funded currently through our ARPA dollars," a county presenter confirmed during the meeting.
Simmons added the Rescue Mission is exploring permanence for the unit: the organization owns a donation center on Santa Fe and Race that could serve as a long-term home and safe-parking location. He also said the Rescue Mission is pursuing health plan contracts to expand services including short-term recuperative care and housing navigation.
Several task force members asked operational questions about costs, waste-tank pumping, and city approvals for siting the unit. Simmons said pumping the waste tank and securing consistent sewer access may be among the largest ongoing expenses and that the Rescue Mission is in active conversation with the City of Visalia about locations and policies.
Why it matters: Access to showers is linked to health, school attendance for children and engagement with services. Task force members and community partners said they view the mobile unit as an outreach tool to connect people experiencing homelessness to shelter and treatment.
Next steps: The Rescue Mission and county staff will continue location planning with city officials and outreach partners; the task force planned an on-site visit to the mobile unit after adjournment.
