On a sweltering afternoon in August, as city traffic buzzed nearby and the smell of grilled burgers circulated through the air, Sharonda Roberts was doing what she’s done quietly for years: giving Paterson’s most vulnerable residents a place to feel human again.
With three portable shower stalls set up on a lot on Vanhounten Street, Roberts offers the “shower days” through Muture Sisters, a nonprofit organization she founded to support Paterson’s homeless population.
On these show days she greets familiar faces and new ones alike. Some come to wash up. Others stay for a meal, fresh clothes, and a few moments of kindness…