Community Assistance Teams of Flagstaff
Mobile Shower and Outreach Bus
Our innovative mobile shower and outreach bus reaches people where the are. We provide free showers, fresh clothing, hygiene supplies, ready to eat snacks and canned foods, basic first aid and most importantly a welcoming community to unsheltered relatives in Flagstaff.
The C.A.Ts Bus is parked at different locations around the City on different days.
Our downloadable parking schedule is available here.
About our Bus Visitors
We meet with about 30 visitors each day during outreach. We have had as many as 60 on a single day. They are in need of showers, clothing, hygiene supplies, food and other basic necessities. 80% are homeless and the rest don't have enough income for their basic needs.
Most of our visitors are Flagstaff residents- they live in the City year round. Many camp or just sleep outside, while others stay at local shelters, in cars, or where ever they can find a place to lay down. It is illegal to sleep outside in Flagstaff, so they are always at risk of being arrested. Our Native American visitors in particular, report being contacted by police and arrested for no reason.
Between March 1, 2024 and November 18, 2024, 721 different people came by our outreach bus for services. Most people come by many times throughout the year. During that time period we engaged with visitors 2,714 times, providing services, goods and a welcoming environment.
For a more in depth look at the demographics of our visitors, please click here for our mid year report.
Converting the Bus
In September 2021 we purchased a 2001 decommissioned school bus to convert into a mobile shower and outreach bus. With volunteer labor, donated materials and a small grant for the City Sustainability Office we were able to complete the conversion by the end of July 2022. See the transformation below.
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