“Our idea was to bring full bathing and laundry facilities to our homeless community so that they don’t leave the place they call home to take a shower,” explains Emmanuel Threatt.

Committed to providing the homeless with a sense of privacy, safety, and comfort, the Threatts and their friends sought to bring to life what started as an idea on a whiteboard. This led to the purchase of a 24-foot box truck with enough room for not only two baths and laundry facilities but also a black and gray water tank for waste collection and a freshwater tank for on-board water supply.

In 2020, SFA Saniflo USA donated two grinder pump systems and a drain pump to accommodate the plumbing fixtures on the first Hope Tank. Now, as Hope Vibes endeavors to create a second mobile shower truck, SFA Saniflo USA will continue to support the organization by, once again, donating two Sanigrind Pro pumps and a Sanicom 1 drain pump for the new truck.

The Hope Tanks feature two full baths and laundry facilities, with black and gray water tanks for waste collection and freshwater tanks for on-board water supply. The Sanigrind Pro units sit behind a toilet in each bath, separated by a finished panelboard. The Sanicom 1 drain pump drains gray water from washing machines into a storage tank, whose cleanout pipe empties into the city sewage system.

“These donations reflect SFA Saniflo’s ongoing commitment to positively impacting the community by providing hygienic care to those who lack access,” says Giulio Marcato, Country Manager of SFA Saniflo North America.

Hope Vibes serves the Charlotte area approximately six times a month, accommodating 50 to 75 people at each location. Leveraging the power of volunteers and social media, the Hope Vibes team can reach individuals unaware of the Hope Tank’s services.

Recently, the city of Charlotte approached Hope Vibes to collaborate on creating mobile restroom solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness. The city provided financial support to help bring this plan to fruition.

With many moving parts that come with operating a mobile truck service, Emmanuel is grateful to have reliable products like the Saniflo Sanigrind Pro and Sanicom 1 functioning properly with no issues.

“It’s the perfect solution to the problem,” explains Emmanuel. “Having a restroom, shower, or laundry facility on a vehicle is not a typical layout that you see in a box truck, but by using Saniflo’s above-floor plumbing solution, we have products that continually work well. They are a trusted partner for Hope Vibes.”