Lava Mae: Fact Sheet

Lava Mae is a nonprofit organization- based out of San Francisco- that aims to redefine hospitality.  

According to the 2017 report on the Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development, the total number of homeless in the US is 553, 742 of which 25% are from California. Through its services, Lava Mae provides accessibility to hygiene for the homeless by converting retired transportation buses into showers and toilets. It operates with a sense of radical hospitality to ensure that the guests leave feeling better than when they arrived. 

Lava Mae wants to enable 1 million new showers around the globe by the end of 2018. The services will go nationwide starting in Chicago on November 13, 2018. The other five cities to be serviced within the next six months are Boston, Philadelphia, Tampa, Detroit, and Miami. 

Pop-Up Care Villages: 

Pop-up care villages provide hygiene, career opportunities, and entertainment in one place.  The purpose is to bring a collective impact and ensure permanent change. 

• The village includes mobile showers. 

• The services provided are: 

- Haircuts 

- Clothing 

- Medical care 

• The list of activities that are available at the village are: 

- Books 

- Chess set 

- Talk therapy 

- Skills-building workshop 

- Recovery support 

- Case management 

• The guests are provided food while they wait for their turn. 

• Live music is played in the village to reduce stress levels and enhance calming stability among the guests.

Naina Anand  

Achievements: 

• Since its launch, Lava Mae has provided more than 35,000 showers to at least 10,000 people. • More than 800 volunteers have worked with the organization. 

• To date, 6,000 guests have been served at 15 Pop-Up Care Villages. 

• 70 corporations, including Google, Kohler, and Toyota, have partnered with Lava Mae. 

Volunteer: 

• A group of six or fewer may volunteer for the mobile hygiene service. 

• A group of six or more may volunteer for the pop-up care villages. 

• Individuals or groups may participate in the hygiene kit donation drive. • Volunteers may organize events and fundraisers such as dance parties, happy hours, yoga classes, etc. 

• Volunteers may evangelize to enlist new Lava Mae volunteers. 

Donate: 

The following are the acceptable methods of donation: 

• Through donatenow.networkforgood.org or PayPal. 

• Through credit cards at donate.lavamae.org 

• Checks payable to Lava Mae at 1015 Fillmore St, #379, San Francisco, CA 94115 • Through Donor Advised Fund, which is a tax-smart investment to facilitate philanthropic goals. You may be charged an administrative fee. 

• Donations of personal hygiene items, undergarments, socks, and clothing are accepted through  Goodler.com. 

For more information on Lava Mae, please contact nxxxx@lavamae.com or visit lavamae.org.

Naina Anand