TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s now a bit easier for unhoused Tucsonans to get a free shower in the city. A seemingly simple task that becomes nearly impossible when you wake up without a roof over your head.
East Tucson nonprofit God’s Vast Resources cut the ribbon on their new, three-stall shower trailer Thursday morning to an applauding audience of dozens of volunteers and those who will actually benefit from the new trailer.
John Hilyard says he’s been coming to God’s Vast Resources weekly after hearing about their food distribution from another man living on the streets. This shower trailer, he says, is a game-changer.
“You feel more human when you leave the shower in clean clothes and a shave and your hair is clean,” he said. “I mean, I’ve got long hair, and it’s very hard to keep clean on the streets.”
Before the trailer arrived about three weeks ago, Hilyard showered by paying for a day pass at City-run recreation centers or was sometimes able to take a shower on GVR’s RV if there was enough hot water.
“This new trailer is a quantum leap,” Hilyard said. “I mean, it’s got bathmats that are this thick. I feel like I’m at the Marriott.”
Though he describes the experience as luxurious, Hilyard and God’s Vast Resources Co-Founder Debbie Struble agree that hygiene is a basic need. In the past two years, she and her husband—the nonprofit’s other founder—have noticed a growing need.
“We became acutely aware of their need for hygiene,” She said. “It’s a barrier for all kinds of things: relationships, jobs— you can’t go on an interview if you haven’t showered—so we started looking for ways to give them showers.”
Shower trailers like this one are getting more difficult to find around Tucson. In 2024, the city of Tucson introduced a mobile shower trailer intended to provide showers throughout the workweek. However, in March of 2026, the trailer shut down. A city representative told KGUN 9 they were accepting applications for a local agency to take over operations.
A Phoenix-based nonprofit trailer also attempted to expand into Tucson, shutting down within its first week due to internal issues. That left a huge gap in the systems serving unhoused people in Tucson.
That’s partially why UnitedHealthCare Community Plans offered GVR a $93,000 grant to create and operate the trailer.
“Health-related social needs like hygiene, and clothing and services like this make a huge difference and a huge impact in people being able to feel good about themselves and take care of themselves,” said Steve Chakmakian, the Chief Medical Officer for UnitedHealthCare Community Plan Arizona.
Struble says the shower trailer will stay at GVR’s Eastside location for the first few weeks, but plans to eventually expand to different spots in the city.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
