HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Without knowing it, we all take things for granted sometimes.
But one thing many of us may do on a daily basis, without even thinking about how lucky we are, is to shower.
"There's a lot of places serving food, there's a lot of places giving out clothing but there's not a place right now where people in Huntsville can just come and take a shower," said Huntsville ShowerUp Team Leader, Taylor Reed.
Reed and his ShowerUp trailer are going around Huntsville giving people the gift of cleanliness.
Of course, this act of service comes from Reed's heart but it's more than that.
Reed knows what it's like to go without.
During the 2011 tornado outbreak, Reed's family lost their home.
"I lost my house and with that - did not have a place to shower. I had family and friends in the area luckily, that were able to take my family in, so we had a place to stay. But for a short period of time, I knew what it was like to not have a shower my own," said Reed.
But showering means so much more than getting cleaned up, being clean provides people with dignity.
"Man, it made me feel wonderful, a hundred percent better than I already did," said ShowerUp participant and Huntsville Citizen, Billy Earnest. "It means that I ain't gotta hide from nobody, because I don't want them to smell me."
"Not being able to take a shower, you start to not feel welcome, not feel a part of society," said Reed. "And when you can get clean and really realize that you truly are beautiful. It really helps bring out that inner beauty and helps folks feel restored, feel refreshed and just feel like they can be a part of society again."
"And getting a shower is not just taking the phone go away. It's lifting up my spirit," said Earnest.