We’re excited to celebrate a new addition to Tracy Community Connections Center’s Mobile Shower Program! Our new shower trailer began serving the Tracy community on September 14th of this year, giving us the ability to provide even more people with access to a safe, clean place to shower.
The new trailer has three showers instead of two, allowing our team to serve more people during each mobile shower program. While adding another shower may seem like a small change, it means more community members can access an important service that supports health, hygiene, and dignity.
To celebrate, we’re partnering with the Tracy Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting on October 22 at 5 p.m. We invite our community members, supporters, partners, and friends to join us as we officially celebrate this new resource and the people who helped make it possible. Add this event to your calendar to make sure you don’t miss it!
We’re especially grateful to our generous sponsors, Sutter, Sandia Foundation, and Raymus Foundation. Their support helped make this new shower trailer possible, and we couldn’t have done it without them.
The Mobile Shower Program is one of the ways TCCC works to meet people where they are and provide practical resources to members of our community experiencing homelessness. With three showers now available, we can reach even more people and continue building connections that can lead to additional resources and support.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the Mobile Shower Program and helped us grow. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you!
Learn more about this event and add to your calendar.
There are moments in community work when something that may seem small from the outside represents an enormous step forward. At TCCC’s Shower Program, our growing team is creating more opportunities to support clients not only with basic needs, but also with the encouragement, relationships, and practical help they need to move forward. For one longtime client, that support recently helped lead to a milestone years in the making. Here’s an update from our Shower and Laundry Manager, Debbie DeGravelles:
We have so many positive things happening in our shower program. One of the biggest improvements has been expanding our team. John joined us as a case manager and has been an incredible addition. We also welcomed Danielle, a client/volunteer through Cal Works. Danielle has a special gift for making everyone feel welcome. She is a friend to everyone and helps create a warm, encouraging environment.
Because of these new team members, we have been able to surround our clients with support in ways we couldn’t before.
One client’s story especially stands out:
R.A. has been living on the streets since he was 10 years old. He left school at that age and has spent most of his life surviving without the support many of us take for granted. Some have even described him as “feral.” He has been using our services for more than five years, and throughout that time we have continued to encourage, support, and believe in him.
Although R.A. is around 40 years old, he had never been able to obtain a state ID. Without identification, many opportunities remained out of reach.
Recently, R.A. began helping our team with setting up and tearing down the shower program each week. Having this responsibility has given him a sense of purpose and helped him feel like a valued part of the Tracy Community Connection Center family.
For years, we encouraged R.A. to get his ID, but he faced many barriers that prevented him from doing so. With the support of our expanded team, we were finally able to help him overcome those obstacles. Our outreach team provided transportation to the DMV, and another client accompanied him so he wouldn’t have to face the process alone.
This week, R.A. received his state ID in the mail.
This simple piece of identification represents so much more than a card. It opens the door to employment, housing, benefits, banking, and many other opportunities that were previously out of reach. We know R.A.‘s journey isn’t over, but this is a major milestone.
We are grateful to celebrate this victory with him and remain committed to walking alongside him as he continues building a brighter future.
R.A.’s new state ID is more than a piece of identification. It represents new possibilities. With his ID in hand, doors to employment, housing, benefits, banking, and other opportunities can begin to open. We know his journey is still unfolding, but we are proud to celebrate this important step and grateful to be able to walk alongside him. As Debbie and the Shower Program team have seen time and again, progress can take time, but patience, persistence, and a community willing to believe in someone can make a meaningful difference.
At Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC), we know that restoring dignity often begins with meeting basic needs. That’s why we are incredibly grateful to Home2 Suites by Hilton Tracy for their recent donation of hundreds of clean towels for our Mobile Shower Program.
For many people experiencing homelessness, access to a hot shower can be life-changing. Beyond improving hygiene, it provides a sense of normalcy, confidence, and dignity. A clean towel may seem like a small thing, but for someone who has been living without reliable access to basic necessities, it can make a meaningful difference.
Our Mobile Shower Program serves 40-50 individuals per day throughout the Tracy community who need a safe place to shower, access hygiene supplies, and connect with additional resources. Every towel donated helps us continue providing these services while creating a welcoming environment for the people we serve.
Community partnerships make this work possible. We are continually inspired by local businesses that step up to support their neighbors and invest in the well-being of our community. Home2 Suites Tracy’s generosity helps ensure that our shower program remains a dependable resource for individuals working to overcome housing instability and rebuild their lives.
On behalf of our staff, volunteers, and clients, thank you to Home2 Suites Tracy for your kindness and commitment to serving the Tracy community. Your donation will have a direct and lasting impact on the people who rely on our programs every week.
For our unhoused neighbors, access to basic hygiene isn’t guaranteed. That’s why Tracy Community Connections Center (TCCC) operates a mobile Shower Program. Three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. we welcome anyone in need at New Heart Church (1647 Bessie Ave.). With the support of our partner church, we’ve transformed their parking lot into a safe, welcoming space where people can refresh, recharge, and reconnect with dignity.
In 2024, we provided 3,289 showers and we’re on track to serve even more this year.
More Than a Shower
When someone arrives at our Shower Program, they’re met by caring staff—not just with a towel and soap, but with conversation, kindness, and support. Every guest has free access to:
- A warm shower
- Hygiene products
- Clean clothes
- Food
- Restroom
- Phone charging station
- Resource referrals and case management
- A genuine, human connection
- Haircuts offered Mondays 9am – 1pm
Our team is there to listen, build trust, and support the next steps toward stability.
–>Learn more about the importance of case management.
We’re proud to partner with organizations like:
Why It Matters and How You Can Help
The ability to shower, wear clean clothes, and feel human again shouldn’t be a luxury. It’s a basic human need and it’s often the first step toward recovery, employment, and housing. We’ve seen it time and again: a clean body can lead to a clearer mind, a restored sense of dignity, and a renewed desire to seek help.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP.
Interested in supporting this program?
It costs just $25 to cover the cost of a shower, hygiene supplies, and clean clothes for two people. If you believe everyone deserves a clean start, consider donating today. You’ll be making an immediate impact right here in Tracy.
