Mobile Showers Help Give Homeless A Fresh Start

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Martin Johnson's car acts as his living room and bedroom but lacks one necessity. The bathroom.

That is where Lava Mae comes in.

This mobile shower service has been handy for Johnson and he says it'll be easier for him to get off the street if he can prepare for job interviews with a hot shower.

"I feel comfortable going around people because I'm not smelly and stinky," Johnson said.

The non-profit has three mobile showers for the homeless in the Bay Area and expanded into LA last week. It's available in Downtown LA on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and in Venice on Fridays.

"If we don't give them that basic need, we're going to have more and more diseases spreading in our communities," Jasmin Kozowy, of Lava Mae said.

An estimated 47,000 people are homeless in LA County, which is why the director of the St. Francis Center says it's a problem that's in all of our backyards.

"Here in this particular area where we serve (just south of the 10 Freeway) we've had one of the highest increases last year in homelessness, a 44 percent jump." Jose Ramirez said.

Lava Mae has teamed up with other charities to give clothes to people after they step out of the shower.

The program is privately funded.

Johnson seemed to have a spring in his step after he had a hot shower. He says he's ready to look for work again.