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Restoring Dignity to Our Homeless Brothers and Sisters in Tulsa and OKC, One Shower at a Time
BeHeard Movement meets people experiencing homelessness with mobile showers, clean laundry, fresh haircuts, and on-site case management, bringing care and connection directly to the street.
In Tulsa and Oklahoma City, a powerful movement is rolling through the streets – literally. With mobile shower units, laundry trailers, a barbershop bus, and on-site case managers, BeHeard Movement is meeting the daily needs of our unhoused neighbors with compassion, care, and respect. At the heart of their mission is a simple belief: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity.
Since launching in 2020, BeHeard has served thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma. Their approach is reshaping lives, offering a practical and human model for how cities can support their most vulnerable residents.
Listening First: How One Conversation Sparked a Movement
BeHeard Movement began not as a service but as a conversation. In 2019, founder Evan Dougoud was working with Tulsa’s Youth Services when he met a young woman named Ashley who had been living in a tent. She told him, “I wish people would walk in my shoes for once.”
That encounter led to a short documentary project called BeHeard & BeSeen, which gave young people experiencing homelessness a platform to share their stories. As interviews continued, one need stood out again and again: a place to take a shower. In East Tulsa, there were only a handful of public showers, all miles away from many encampments, meaning some people went months without access to basic hygiene.
“If tacos can be on wheels, so can showers,” Dougoud later said. With support from local partners, BeHeard purchased a mobile shower trailer and launched its first outreach in July 2021—meeting people where they are and building trust through consistent presence.
Dignity on Wheels: A Mobile Drop-In Center for Unhoused Neighbors
BeHeard’s model is simple and deeply effective: go to where people are living – sidewalks, parks, and underpasses – and offer private, respectful services that restore agency and connection.
Today, the mobile drop-in center includes private showers stocked with hygiene essentials, laundry trailers for clean clothes, a clothing boutique where guests choose items that fit their style and size, a barbershop bus staffed by volunteer stylists, and on-site case managers who help with IDs, housing applications, employment connections, and more. Guests can also charge phones, receive mail, and safely store belongings.
Operating multiple days per week in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City, BeHeard serves hundreds of neighbors each day. But what matters most isn’t just what’s offered—it’s how it’s offered: with warmth, names remembered, and conversations that build trust.
Stories That Show Why It Matters
Every day, guests remind the team why this work matters. One woman, Jamie, shared how a shower and clean clothes made her feel: “I feel good about myself.” Another guest, known as Ms. C, found stable housing after months of support. Her journey took 21 showers, 5 loads of laundry, 3 haircuts, and 19 appointments with case managers—but it worked. Today, she volunteers at the very outreach that once served her.
Time and time again, BeHeard sees guests become givers, returning to offer time and encouragement to others on the street. A clean shirt and a kind word can be the first step toward renewed confidence, reconnection, and long-term change.
A Model Other Cities Are Watching
Interest in BeHeard’s approach has grown well beyond Oklahoma. Donors, faith communities, and grassroots groups across the U.S. – and even in Toronto – have reached out to learn how to replicate the model. BeHeard’s posture is collaboration over competition: if a city already offers mobile showers and laundry, the team cheers them on; if there’s a gap, they’re ready to help.
To guide these conversations, BeHeard is developing a BeHeard Toolkit—distilling years of lessons from the street into practical steps communities can take to launch dignifying, mobile support for neighbors experiencing homelessness.
How You Can Help: Turn Care Into Action
BeHeard’s impact is powered by everyday people choosing to act. Here are accessible ways to support their mission right now:
Sponsor a Shower: For just $10 a month, you can underwrite a private shower for a neighbor in need—often the first step toward re-engaging with services. Give at beheardmovement.org.
Donate Supplies: New socks and underwear, hygiene kits, razors, towels, and season-appropriate clothing help keep the trailers stocked and ready.
Volunteer Locally: If you’re near Tulsa or OKC, lend a hand with laundry, hosting, or haircuts (licensed barbers/stylists welcome). Your time matters.
Partner With Purpose: If you’re part of a healthcare, housing, employment, or faith organization, collaborate on wraparound services delivered on-site at outreach locations.
Share the Story: Visibility reduces stigma. Amplify BeHeard’s work so more communities can learn and take action.
Dignity Is the Starting Point
BeHeard Movement reminds us that those experiencing homelessness are not strangers. They are our neighbors – our brothers and sisters – worthy of care, conversation, and dignity. Through showers and clean clothes, yes, but also through trust and consistent presence, BeHeard is offering more than services. They are offering belonging, and in that belonging, lives are changing.
Learn more or get involved at beheardmovement.org.
For another inspiring initiative supporting people experiencing homelessness, read about a 13-year-old who invented a solar-powered blanket to keep unhoused neighbors warm.
