What are the Benefits of taking a shower? Or brushing your teeth? What about something as simple as washing your hands? Most of us live our lives outside of the kinds of problems that make questions like these poignant. But not all of us have this luxury. Houseless people struggle every day to find clean water to drink, let alone bathe in, and this problem can lead to dangerous results, such as an increased risk of waterborne diseases like dysentery or diarrheal diseases such as cholera and typhoid. This is not to mention that sleeping on the street or in an unclean environment significantly increases one's risk of infection and mental illness.
But we don’t need to go to such extreme examples to illustrate the problem we as a community are facing. The charity organization Do Good Multonomah has estimated that Portland’s houseless population in 2022 was 18,000, and from 2022 to 2023, we have seen that number increase by 29%! These people aren’t lazy or unable to exist in society; they are our neighbors, the people who live paycheck to paycheck just like you or me. They are our Veterans, our teachers, and our friends, and sometimes the people who have helped us the most are the people who need the most help.
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine on Boston's houseless population, “Personal hygiene has… been identified as a positive contributor to mental health among persons experiencing homelessness… and respondents identified “taking a shower after several days without one” as being extremely important to them” and why shouldn't it be important to them? We are all the same amalgam of carbon, snot, and sweat we have been for centuries, and in that time, we have come to a consensus on what things are human rights and why human dignity is central to the human condition. And I can’t think of anything that gives me more confidence, safety, and happiness than a clean body.
Which is why we as a community need to remember to always treat each other with kindness and respect. The Oregonian wrote about this all the way back in 2017, with them finding that 40% of the 550 houseless surveyed had skin or urinary tract infections that developed due to a lack of proper access to hygiene facilities. The Participants also reported that these diseases prevented them from receiving things like a meal or shelter from homeless shelters or even the key to the bathroom from a cafe. Which is why it's important to remain compassionate to all and not judge a book by its cover. We are a fantastic city with a diverse community of doctors, activists, teachers, garbage collectors, and yes some of them are homeless today, and even more will be tomorrow. Which is why we, as a community, must not let anyone suffer from a lack of proper hygiene while we suffer from a lack of empathy. Donate, Volunteer, Research, or simply give someone a key to the bathroom, anything, even if it feels minuscule, may be the difference between someone showering once a week or never.
Check out this great article from the Orgonian to learn more HERE
Full Study by the National Library of Medicine HERE
Also, Check Out Do Good Multnomah HERE
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