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Fresh Hope mobile hygiene team asks Jonesboro to cohost Aug. 15 'Fresh Hope Day' and consider funding commitment
Summary
Leadership Clayton presented Fresh Hope Lather and Load, a mobile shower, restroom and laundry pilot that held an inaugural July 11 activation; the group asked Jonesboro to cohost an Aug. 15 Fresh Hope Day and to consider matching College Park's $20,000 municipal investment for a permanent mobile unit.
Brandy Cousin Sams, part of Leadership Clayton's Fresh Hope Lather and Load project, asked the Jonesboro City Council on July 13 to cohost a mobile hygiene activation on Aug. 15 and to consider municipal support, including a request to match College Park's $20,000 investment for a permanent mobile unit.
Sams described the initiative as a mobile shower, restroom and laundry unit intended to "restore dignity, improve hygiene access, and connect residents to stabilizing services." She said the program is currently testing a model through temporary "Fresh Hope Days," and reported results from a July 11 activation in Forest Park: more than 100 participants attended, about 25 guests used showers and approximately 30 used free laundry services.
"Hygiene is not a luxury. It is a lifeline," Sams said, arguing that access to showers and laundry can be a first step toward employment and stability for unhoused or unstably housed residents. Sams requested municipal support for public-works assistance, permitting, police presence and possible budget support to match the $20,000 contribution College Park has already provided.
Council members expressed appreciation and asked staff to convene a meeting with the project team. Mayor Pro Tem Miller asked the city manager to reach out so the group and city staff could plan logistics for Aug. 15, and council indicated it would explore budget availability during upcoming budget deliberations.
What happens next: City staff will set an initial meeting with the Fresh Hope team and the city manager; council will review funding possibilities during the FY27 budget process.
