Moving Waters

What Moving Waters does

Moving Waters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-2861230) founded in September 2019 by occupational therapist Jennifer Park to deliver mobile shower services to unhoused individuals in the Houston/Galveston area of Texas. The organization was conceived after Park observed the transformative effect of showers on individuals recovering from illness or trauma, and is structured around a fleet of self-contained mobile shower trailers equipped with toilets, sinks, mirrors, shower stalls, hot water, heating, and air conditioning. Each guest receives a standardized hygiene kit containing bar soap, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, deodorant, socks, underwear, feminine hygiene products, and towels.

Services are delivered free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at five rotating partner-host locations across the Houston metro — Northwest Assistance Ministries (Spring), St. Joseph Catholic Church (inside Loop 610), Ecclesia (Heights), Emergency Aid Coalition (Midtown), and Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church (Third Ward) — operating on different days of the week. The organization has cumulatively provided over 10,000 showers since launching service on May 10, 2021, and has expanded the service model to include on-site medical care (Vel Health), vaccination administration (Walgreens flu vaccines), seasonal supply drives (Heatwave Hope Drive), and barbershop services.

The business model is donation-funded: Moving Waters generates no service revenue, instead operating on tax-deductible contributions, in-kind donations via an Amazon Wish List (hygiene kits, summer supplies, Bombas socks, Oak Farms Dairy products), community-organized hygiene drives, and grants. GTM is community-led, relying on partnerships with churches and nonprofits for host sites, volunteer engagement, and word-of-mouth referrals within Houston's homeless community. The organization employs 9 people and is governed by a board including President David Taylor, Vice President Dr. Tyler Varisco, and Treasurer Nicole Varisco. No parent organization or institutional investment ownership is indicated.

Name

Moving Waters

Legal name

Moving Waters

Website

https://movingwaters-houston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Moving Waters is a Houston-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that operates mobile shower trailers at five partner-church sites to provide free hygiene services, hygiene kits, and bundled medical care to unhoused individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Shower and Hygiene Services for the Unhoused

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAEALAA

Routine Bathroom Cleaning (Toilet/Sink/Shower)

Home & Personal Services/Home Cleaning & Housekeeping/Bathroom/Tile & Grout Cleaning

Keywords

• Mobile shower services
• Homeless hygiene services
• Nonprofit humanitarian aid
• Hygiene kit distribution
• Community outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cypress

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 84-2861230) that fund mobile shower operations and hygiene supplies
2. Amazon Wish List: In-kind donations of hygiene items, summer supplies, and essentials via Amazon Wish List
3. Hygiene Drives: Community-organized hygiene drives where groups collect and donate hygiene kits and supplies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Moving Waters provides free mobile shower services to unhoused individuals in the Houston/Galveston area through self-contained trailer units equipped with hot water, heating, air conditioning, toilets, sinks, mirrors, and shower stalls. Each guest receives a standardized hygiene kit including soap, shampoo, conditioner, towels, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, socks, and underwear. Services are delivered on a rotating schedule at five partner church and community organization locations across the Houston metro area.

Product overview

Moving Waters is a nonprofit organization providing mobile shower services to unhoused individuals in the Houston/Galveston area since 2019. The core offering is a mobile shower service that includes shower stalls, toilets, sinks, mirrors, hot water, heating, and air conditioning. Each guest receives a hygiene kit with soap, shampoo, conditioner, towels, socks, and underwear. The organization operates at five partner locations across Houston and offers supplementary programs including the annual Heatwave Hope Drive for summer supplies and medical care partnerships. Services operate on a first-come, first-served basis with volunteer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Shower Services Free mobile shower services delivered to unhoused individuals via self-contained trailer units equipped with toilets, sinks, mirrors, shower stalls, hot water, heating, and air conditioning. Each guest receives a hygiene kit including soap, shampoo, conditioner, towels, washcloths, and clean socks and underwear. Services are operated on a first-come, first-served basis at five partner locations across Houston.
• Hygiene Kits Standardized hygiene kits provided to every guest receiving shower services. Each kit includes a gallon Ziplock bag, bar soap, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, deodorant, socks, underwear, feminine hygiene products, and hard candy.
• Heatwave Hope Drive Annual summer initiative that collects critical in-kind donations and supplies to support unhoused individuals during extreme heat conditions in Houston. Collects water bottles, cooling towels, hats, sunscreen, and other summer essentials via the organization's Amazon Wish List to equip all five service locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 showers provided since May 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harvest and Hope Food RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard chairman David Taylor serves on the board of Harvest and Hope Food Rescue. Partnership focused on food rescue and addressing food insecurity alongside hygiene services.
• LavaMaeXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile shower initiative partner organization sharing similar mission of providing hygiene services to unhoused individuals.
• Right to ShowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on providing shower access to those experiencing homelessness.
• Emergency Aid Coalition (EAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for Thursday shower services (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM) at 5401 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77004.
• EcclesiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for Monday shower services (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) at 1100 Elder St., Houston, TX 77007.
• St. Joseph Catholic ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for Wednesday shower services (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) at 1505 Kane Street, Houston, TX 77007. Third location opened September 2021, first inside Loop 610.
• Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for Friday shower services (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) at 15555 Kuykendahl Rd., Houston, TX 77090. First partner location where showers began May 10, 2021.
• Wheeler Avenue Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFifth shower location opened April 28, 2026 in Houston's Third Ward. Services on Tuesdays 9am-1pm. Also provides Vel Health medical partnership site.
• WalgreenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide flu vaccines to unhoused individuals. Administered 25 flu vaccines during October shower service event at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Addresses healthcare access barriers for homeless population.
• Vel HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical care partnership at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church location. Dr. Evans and Donavon Evans (neurology resident) provide medical care for unhoused guests each Tuesday, offering holistic health services beyond hygiene.
• Empire Barber StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration providing haircuts and shaves during Coaches' Cuts program organized by Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross for Reach the Homeless organization.
• Oak Farms DairyminorOthersIn-kind donation partner providing dairy products for events and community support.
• BombasminorOthersSock donation partner providing socks for guests receiving shower services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reach the Homeless: A Houston-area nonprofit listed as a Moving Waters partner that coordinates outreach services including haircuts and hygiene support to people experiencing homelessness — same geography and mission overlap.
• St. Anthony Foundation: A San Francisco nonprofit that operates a free shower program along with meals and social services for people experiencing homelessness — same core hygiene-for-the-homeless service category as Moving Waters.
• Dignity Moves: A California-based nonprofit deploying interim and mobile hygiene/housing solutions for unsheltered individuals; operates in the same mobile-shower-for-the-homeless category as Moving Waters.
• Right to Shower: A hygiene-focused nonprofit partnered with Moving Waters that advocates for and provides shower access to people experiencing homelessness — same mission, complementary delivery model.
• Shower to the People: A mobile shower nonprofit providing free showers and hygiene services to people experiencing homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area — same service model and target population as Moving Waters.
• LavaMaeX: A nonprofit that builds mobile shower and hygiene services for people experiencing homelessness, explicitly listed as a strategic partner of Moving Waters and operating a directly comparable mobile hygiene service model.

Regional players

• The Beacon: A Houston-area nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness with day services, meals, and case management — shares the same geography and end-user base as Moving Waters, with a broader shelter-focused service model.
• Mobile Loaves & Fishes: An Austin-based nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness with mobile food, hygiene, and housing programs; operates in Texas with a similar community-driven mobile services model, though not focused exclusively on showers.
• SEARCH Homeless Services: Houston-based nonprofit providing comprehensive services to people experiencing homelessness, including housing, health, and street outreach — same Houston geography and target population as Moving Waters, with a broader service mix.

Others

• Bombas: A sock apparel company with a one-for-one donation model that supplies socks to homeless-serving organizations including Moving Waters — adjacent mission-aligned supplier/in-kind donor rather than a direct service peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moving-waters

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Moving Waters