Urban Rest Stop

I would love to add one of these to the shelter as it is service in big demand around here.  We can help men out with this but there isn't anything like it for women in the city.

The Urban Rest Stop provides a clean, safe and welcoming facility where individuals and families can come and use the restrooms, shower and laundry facilities. All services are provided at no cost to patrons.

By providing access to essential hygiene services, the URS improves the self-sufficiency of homeless individuals and families. The Rest Stop is the only hygiene facility with extended service hours. It is open weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and weekends from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These extended hours are specifically designed to assist homeless persons who are working or need to get to a job interview. A homeless job applicant cannot be successful during a job interview without the self-confidence that a shower and clean clothes can provide. A homeless individual cannot maintain steady employment or hope for advancement without access to showers and laundry facilities.

Listen to their stats...

As of January 2007, the Rest Stop has provided a total of 366,036 showers, 142,365 laundry loads, and 558,806 restroom uses to 21,540 unduplicated individual patrons. Since the February 2001 earthquake, which resulted in the closure of another Seattle hygiene service facility, the Urban Rest Stop has provided services at its maximum daily capacity of 100 to 125 laundry loads, 175 to 225 showers and 400 to 600 restroom uses each day.

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