Mobile nonprofit helps homeless people
“Showering our streets with love” is displayed on a mobile shower and laundry trailer that travels around Mesa and other parts of the Valley to provide services to those experiencing homelessness.
A haircut, shower, laundry services, new clothes, hygiene products, and a home-cooked meal are all things that unsheltered people get from Cloud Covered Streets, a non-profit started by Robert Thornton in 2016.
Thornton’s shift from a businessman running a clothing company called Paper Clouds Apparel to running a nonprofit to help the homeless came unexpectedly one day as he was driving through Phoenix and saw a man in a tattered shirt standing on a street corner who was carrying a sign asking for assistance.
“His shirt had holes in it and you could just tell that it had been baked by the sun and just seeing this man I thought, ‘I needed to do something to help,’” Thornton said.
Thornton began by going on what he called “street missions,” and handing out brand-new T-shirts to those who needed them. He started meeting and talking to people to find out what supplies and services were needed.
“Through talking to people each time I would go and hand out supplies, it would continue to escalate, what I would bring out and I would just ask them ‘what’s something you need?’ and they had mentioned how badly they need showers and I just kind of started thinking about how we could make that possible,” Thornton said.
That’s when Thorton had thought of a mobile shower trailer and he wanted to make sure it had everything that was needed like washers and dryers as well.
“I just thought about all the things that could help somebody have a better day and feel better about themselves,” Thornton said
“So, we got showers, laundry, haircuts, everybody who showers gets a new T-shirt, pair of underwear, socks, shorts, we have sports bras for the women, and when they get out of their shower they get a hygiene bag just full of deodorant, soap, shampoo, razor, sunscreen, lotion and just all the supplies they could need to help keep them feeling clean and fresh,” Thornton said.
Thornton and other volunteers are out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays providing and helping provide these services.
MeShell Edwards, a hairdresser who volunteers for Cloud Covered Streets, said she tries to volunteer at least once a month after discovering the nonprofit on its Instagram page.
“It’s just changed things, you look at things a little different because these people are so incredibly gracious and a lot of the world is so entitled today and people don’t know how to operate in a place of gratefulness,” Edwards said.
“I feel like they are giving to me more than I am giving to them, I feel like impact goes both ways. To put everything into perspective, when someone is sharing their story with you or their testimony and what they’re facing in their life. I feel like I walk away more moved by what my haircut could ever do,” Edwards said.
Barbara O’Connell, another volunteer, prepares meals, getting up at 4 a.m. to prepare them for the people Cloud Covered Streets feeds.
On a recent day, she prepared ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, green beans, and blackberry pie.
“I will feed anybody, if you come to me and tell me you’re hungry, I will feed you,” O’Connell said.
Cloud Covered Streets also employs individuals who are experiencing homelessness or previously had no home.
“We hire individuals that are experiencing homelessness to operate and run our trailer, so we’re providing an opportunity to earn money and get back into the workforce as well,” Thornton said.
One such worker said, “Honestly, I love doing this and there’s so many times where people who go in there and they are hating the world and then they come out and they are just smiling.”
After about four years of operation, Cloud Covered Streets has developed a system when it comes to processing its clients, said Jay Allen, the operations manager.
“They come to the sign-up table and we get their name and their T-shirt and underwear size and from there they can sit at the sitting area or go get a haircut. Once it’s their time, they get their shirts, socks, underwear, and towels and come over and get in the shower,” he explained.
“They get 13 minutes and when they come out they get a ticket so that they can go get food, and they are allowed to hang out for as long as they want. We are also trying to create a safe space,” Allan said.
Allan said that Cloud Covered Streets is always in need of donations and has a wish list of items at cloudcoveredstreets.org/donate-phoenix.
Volunteer Lori Croft said said people they help “so so so grateful, 100% grateful.”
Cloud Covered Streets received its nonprofit status in 2016 and has since started a trailer in Forth Worth, Texas, and is starting another in Tucson.
“I think it’s important to let them know that they have a safe place to sit, rest, socialize, eat, be clean, be seen and be heard,” volunteer Michelle Ruiz said.
