A Corpus Christi nonprofit aims to transform an old men’s club into a community shower, providing essential hygiene access to vulnerable residents, despite significant renovation costs.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A local nonprofit is stepping up to meet a growing need in Corpus Christi with a community shower in the works.

The Free Store is expanding its services with a new project designed to help some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
The organization hopes to offer free showers to anyone who needs them — giving people not just access to hygiene, but also dignity and support. 

The project will be named “Ruthie’s Community Shower” in honor of Ruthie, a local advocate known for supporting and caring for the homeless community.

It’s something many people take for granted being able to take a clean shower whenever they need one. 

For 15 years, James Newton lived on the streets. 

“Now getting up in the morning and just taking a good cold shower or warm shower, even if you don’t, even if you don’t have any place to go, is very, very rewarding,” Newton said.

Now, he advocates for the homeless and says there’s a lack of shower access that’s 24/7. 

 “Some of the homeless community, they work and some of them get off at night and when they get off, Mother Teresa’s is not closed, it’s closed and Dismas may be closed, and they’re stuck again,” Newton said. “Maybe they have to go to work tomorrow with the same clothes on and, and not taking a shower. “

But the nonprofit’s CEO and Founder Marliena Garza is changing that by transforming a men’s club into a community shower. 

“We hope to offer in this slightly larger than 1800 square foot space, uh, fully inclusive showers for anybody. So, a fully inclusive shower would mean that someone like myself who is fully able-bodied, independent. and can fully bathe themselves, could get a shower all the way up to someone who can’t. Somebody who is partially or maybe even fully paralyzed,” Garza said.

A community shower that will be opened to anyone regardless of their situation and disability. But Garza said it will be costly with renovations. 

“Just in our space alone, I’m estimating anywhere from $7000 to $900,000 to get it all fully done,” Port said. “You know, just the inclusive shower component that will have to be, uh, customly designed, installed, and managed. That component alone is going to cost me $200,000.”

Amanda Port is the chief volunteer officer with the Corpus Christi Community Center. She said this partnership will make a lasting impact in the city. 

“I feel like we have an obligation, like a, you know, just civil servant and leaders to look out for our neighbors. And so in that room, it does need a lot of repair. This building is very old. It was built in the 40s and so, you know, in general, the whole building needs repair,” Port said. “But to me it’s it’s a worthy investment that I think will have measurable returns when we start seeing our in house people being able to get out in the community and you know, function better, be able to go to their doctor’s appointments, be able to go to therapy and, you know, feel clean, be dressed well and be fed.”

In addition to the free showers, Garza said addition resources that will be included will be a pantry and clothes closet. She also mentioned since the building is on the CC Community Center property, the community shower will have a separate entrance and exit with a thumbprint system. 

“So if individuals want to enter in through the, uh, community center, they’re able to, but we have two designated entrances so that individuals can discreetly come in, um, and they’re able. To access in through their thumbprint so they’re able to come in and the whole purpose of this thumbprint is to be able to identify people,” Garza said. “One of the biggest concerns that a lot of our houseless individuals have is that they pass, they die on the streets, and they end up in an unmarked grave. This would give us a, a, a point to work with the coroner’s office to Identify those Jane Does. So they’d be able to send us those thumbprints, we’d be able to run it across our database and say, unfortunately, we did have that thumbprint. This is who it is.”

Garza said if funding comes through, the community shower could open within the next two years — and she says she’ll keep pushing until it becomes a reality. newton says this will be a game changer for many.

“It gives a sense of security for those that are struggling with their addictions, with poverty, with houselessness, with domestic violence, whatever it is. It gives them a space that you are not forgotten, you are seen, and we are here trying to save you,” Garza said.

Newton said this will be a game changer for many. 

“This facility that needs to be open for the homeless community so they could take showers and get somewhere and relax and go sit back and relax just like because they are human beings also and we need to treat them like they are,” Newton said. 

Next Friday, May 29 from 9-11am there will be a volunteer event at the facility. If you’re interested in donating or volunteer visit The Free Store Corpus Christi website here.