A warm shower is something most people take for granted, but for people experiencing homelessness in Metro Detroit getting clean can be very challenging. Detroit has around 7 public restrooms per 100,000 residents, and just 0.3 bathrooms per square mile (FREEP, 2022).

“Lack of access to safe, sufficient and affordable water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities has a devastating effect on the health, dignity, and prosperity of billions of people, and has significant consequences for the realization of other human rights.” -United Nations

Our Shower Service Program

We operate a custom ADA shower trailer that is pulled by a full-size pickup truck. The shower trailer features three private showers (1 ADA, each with its own changing area and toilet). It is also engineered with the “Winter Package” to withstand the demands of Michigan weather. The truck and trailer are operated by WAVE Project personnel and make stops at partner organizations serving the homeless. On service days, we hope to provide 20 - 40 showers per day in and around Metro Detroit. We firmly believe in the power of community and need your help to make our Project a success.

“A lot of times that (showers) is the least of our priorities when you’re in survival mode. Getting clean is a luxury. You’re too busy trying to survive the day-to-day... It’s (mobile showers) a good investment in humanity and a good investment in the community.” -Kelly, a homeless Macomb County resident

Help us love individuals experiencing homelessness in Metro Detroit by making showers accessible and available. Your donation will directly support our mission on the streets of Metro Detroit.

What Does It Look Like?

The Essentials Van

The Essentials Van is a mobile clothing closet that also distributes hygiene essentials. Operated by an “Essentials Coordinator”, the van visits WAVE Project shower service sites and other identified sites in need. The back doors of the van open to reveal rear clothing racks to create space for clothing distribution (coats, jeans, sweatshirts, flannels, etc.). The side “service window” and organized interior space provide the flexibility to distribute socks, underwear, t-shirts, hygiene kits, warming bundles, blankets, and other yet-to-be-determined items as needed.

ABOUT US

Our Mission

Sharing love by providing shelter, mobile showers, and essentials to those in need.​

What We Do

​WAVE Project serves people experiencing homelessness and others in need around Metro Detroit (Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties) by operating a mobile shower service, a mobile clothing closet, the Macomb County Warming Shelter, and pantries. Each year, we provide emergency shelter and thousands of showers, clothing items, food items, and hygiene essentials to those in need. 

WAVE Project is a registered IRS 501(c)(3) organization (​EIN: 83-1340243). 

Our History

Established in 2018, WAVE Project (Welcoming All Valuing Everyone) is a grassroots nonprofit organization based in Macomb County. The founding 6 members of WAVE project were brought together by the common threads of faith, family, and a desire to make an impact by serving and loving the community.

WAVE Project exists to build relationships. From connecting with existing organizations to mobilize and equip, to directly meeting needs within the community, WAVE Project is relational at heart. The project started with a monthly Outreach BBQ event in Mount Clemens where volunteers and people experiencing homelessness alike sat down together over a meal and share their stories. Through hearing people’s stories, it became evident that access to hygiene services is a major barrier for those in the community who are experiencing homelessness.

Due to transportation, accessibility, and other barriers, members of the homeless community often go long periods of time without a shower. It quickly became apparent that Mobile Showers were a need not currently being met in the Metro Detroit region. After extensive research, and meeting with community leaders and existing organizations, a unique mission emerged for WAVE Project: to share love by providing shelter, mobile showers, and essentials to those in need.

Within a year, hundreds of people were inspired to ‘Join The WAVE’ and generously donated their resources to help fund the purchase of a custom, 3 - stall mobile shower trailer. Equipped with private stalls including toilet, sink, and stand-up shower, the shower trailer (Shower Service) rolled up to Metro Detroit in August of 2019. The Essentials Van (mobile clothing closet & hygiene essentials) hit the roads in 2021. WAVE Project provides 300+ showers and hundreds of clothing/hygiene essentials to those in need each month.

Hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness around metro Detroit are turned away from shelters each month due to no vacancy. Starting in November of 2024, our Macomb County Winter Shelter program exists ​to provide unsheltered individuals who are experiencing homelessness a safe, loving, warm place to spend the night. Serving 6+ days a week in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, WAVE Project is poised to serve the homeless community in a unique way and impact generations to come.