Refresh Lancaster, the only mobile hygiene unit program serving Lancaster County, could shut down at the end of June without new funding, according to Lancaster EMS and the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition.The program, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, provides showers, hygiene supplies, clean clothing and basic medical care to people who are unhoused or otherwise in need across the county. Organizers said they need to raise $100,000 by June 30, 2026, to continue operating two deployments a week for another year.“This is not about a lack of need,” Frankie Saez, community paramedicine supervisor for Lancaster EMS, said. “The need obviously exists. The challenge is finding long-term, sustainable funding to continue operation of the program.”Saez says during the summer months they help about 90 clients, and about 40 in the winter. In 2025, Saez says the program helped approximately 900 people. Refresh Lancaster includes two shower stalls equipped with benches and sinks, along with donated items such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene products and base-layer clothing, Saez said. The unit also includes a medical office where staff can provide basic wound care, help manage medications and assist with appointments.Saez said the service often gives people more than a shower.“Giving someone that fresh feeling, that they can go back out into the community and have one less worry,” Saez said.The program is operated by Lancaster EMS in collaboration with the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition and works with municipalities, service providers and community partners throughout the county.Saez said the unit's future remains uncertain without donations, calling the possible loss of the service “disappointing” because many people rely on it for free, nonjudgmental care.Organizers are asking community members to donate and share information about the funding campaign to help keep the program running.On Tuesday, the trailer is parked at Food Hub Lancaster and on Fridays, it is at Union Community Care on Water Street.
Sarah Metts is a News Reporter at various outlets including WBBH-TV NBC 2 and WGAL 8 TV. She covers a diverse range of topics with a focus on health and wellness, crime and justice, and aviation and aerospace, including the International Space Station and NASA. Sarah has been featured in multiple media platforms such as WTAE-TV Pittsburgh and FOX10 News.
