A free-shower service for those experiencing homelessness in Sacramento
Mark Lytal runs our Showers by Touchstone program, which offers tangible support to community members experiencing homelessness in Sacramento.
The program is simple, following guidelines summarized under the acronym HELP:
- Honor and respect each person
- Engage; don’t judge
- Listen first to understand, then to be understood
- Provide for all
In addition to access to free showers and clean water, the program also provides meals, clothing, mobile medicine (in partnership with Elica Health), and other essentials to the unhoused in Sacramento. It operates out of Sacramento Pipeworks parking lot and other locations throughout the city.
Schedule and Location of Services
Mondays
Location: 22nd St and J St, FUMC parking lot
Service: Showers
Time: 8 am to 12 pm (we stop taking names at 11 am)
Wednesdays
Location: 116 N 16th St, Pipeworks back parking lot
Service: Showers, Cloths, Food, Mobile Medicine
Time: 9 am to 1 pm (Adults Only)
Time: 2 pm to 5 pm (Families w/ Children only)
Every Saturday
Location: 116 N 16th St, Pipeworks back parking lot
Service: Hot Meals and Clothes
Time: 9 am to 10:30 am
1st Saturday
Location: 2101 Zinfandel Drive, Rancho Cordova
Service: Showers
Time: Times vary depending on services provided
2nd Saturday
Location: 2406 Del Paso Rd, Encounter Church parking lot
Service: Showers
Time: 9 am to 12 pm
Last 2 Saturdays
Location: 22nd and J St, FUMC parking lot
Service: Showers
Time: 8 am to 12 pm
Meet Mark
Throughout his 20 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Mark Lytal learned to appreciate the benefits of clean, running water. Deployments without access to it tend to do that. After retiring, Mark began serving the unhoused in Sacramento. He quickly noticed that access to clean drinking water and showers was a major obstacle. As with many other things, the pandemic made this worse.
Mark responded by delivering over 500 gallons of water each day, and even more bags of ice, to encampments across the city. He organized several churches across Sacramento to help purchase shower stations. Then he drove them to different locations each day of the week — one being Sacramento Pipeworks — providing free showers to those experiencing homelessness. Soon he was managing volunteers, serving lunches, and working like mad to find the funding needed to support this work.
Inspired by Mark’s example, we realized it was time to do more. Support a community member doing all he could to support other community members who had fallen on hard times? We were in.
We’re equal parts thrilled and humbled to have him join the Touchstone family to run Showers by Touchstone. You can follow Mark on Facebook to learn more about his work and access nuggets of wisdom like this:
“It’s easy to have an opinion about what everyone else is doing wrong, it’s hard to see one’s own discrepancies. Our world sucks for many people right now. Show some compassion, treat people as you wish to be treated, and try something new. Just smile and say ‘hi’ to everyone you meet today.”
Or just Google his name to find one of the many articles and videos covering his work.
