Lava Mae
Model & Strategy
Lava Mae’s mission is to deliver dignity and unlock opportunity for those experiencing homelessness — one mobile shower at a time. Lava Mae is transforming decommissioned San Francisco MUNI buses into bathrooms on wheels. On board every bus are two private pods each with a shower, toilet, sink, and changing area.
Lava Mae works closely with local government and operates in partnership with a range of nonprofits serving the homeless ranging from drop-in centers and health clinics to post-probation re-entry programs. In order to provide 360-degree support that meets homeless individuals where they are, Lava Mae facilitates Pop Up Care Villages, which convene a range of mobile service providers in the same at the same time to deliver holistic care.
Doniece Sandoval was compelled to start Lava Mae based on a fierce belief that everyone has a right to dignity, which brings opportunity and the knowledge that access to showers and sanitation are in serious short supply for the homeless. For her work, she received the Innovation Award at the 2015 Bank of the West Philanthropy Awards.
Doniece has orchestrated marketing, PR and development for both private and nonprofit organizations including ZERO1: The Art & Technology Network, San Jose Museum of Art, Wilson McHenry Company, Informix, DoubleClick, Toysrus.com, McGuire & Company for Coca Cola and ACA Joe among others. Her passion is finding unique solutions to problems that matter to her.
IMPACT
Lava Mae makes it possible for people experiencing homelessness to rekindle their dignity, restore a sense of health and well-being, and unlock the opportunity that comes with being clean. This ultimately fuels their guests’ resilience to persevere in paving the path out of homelessness.
Since launching mobile hygiene in June 2014, Lava Mae has provided over 60,000 showers to 15,000+ guests and hosted 30 Pop-Up Care Village events that served 7,500 guests and engaged 130 partners across the sectors.
Lava Mae has also inspired or directly helped more than 115 new mobile hygiene programs modeled after theirs, and is working with mobile hygiene providers around the world to bring showers and dignity to those who need them most.
Lava Mae News
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Doniece Sandoval Receives James Irvine Foundation Leadership AwardThe James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards recognize and support individuals who are advancing innovative and effective solutions to significant state issues. The 2017 recipients are…Feb 2017 -
Doniece Sandoval Named KIND People Grand Prize WinnerIn early 2016, The KIND Foundation opened a call for nominations for KIND People – individuals transforming their communities through kindness. They received nearly 5,000 stories…Dec 2016
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Lava Mae Hosts Successful First Pop-Up Care Village in San FranciscoWithin view of the mayor’s balcony at City Hall last week was a display of fast-moving, innovative, entrepreneurial work about homelessness. At the Pop-Up Care…Apr 2016 -
Watch: These City Buses Are Now Showers for the Homeless in San FranciscoWatch how Lava Mae is turning retired muni buses in San Francisco into showers on wheels to provide hygiene, dignity and hope to the homeless. Watch…Oct 2015 -
Lava Mae Providing Showers for the Homeless is Rolling AlongLava Mae, the nonprofit that turns old Muni buses into shower stalls to be used by homeless people in San Francisco, has its second bus…Sep 2015
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NYT Features Lava Mae's Efforts to Convert Buses into Showers for the HomelessThere are thousands of homeless people in San Francisco and scant access to public bathrooms. We associate sanitation problems with the Third World, not the…Jan 2015
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RT @hardlynormal: .@invisiblepeople is the ONLY educational-based nonprofit using innovative storytelling, educational resources, journalis…
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RT @MitchOFarrell: UPDATE: Seven individuals from the bridge housing on Schrader Blvd have been housed in permanent housing, and 42 ppl hav…
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RT @VATheRightWay: Veteran homelessness is a travesty. So is opposing solutions to house them https://t.co/W8aZ1pQwKa cc @SupJaniceHahn #Ho…
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What would you do if you had nowhere "to go?" On #WorldToiletDay we are bringing awareness for all of our neighbors… https://t.co/biFc9kN6CA
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RT @WishforWASH: HAPPY WORLD TOILET DAY YALL! 🎉 @jasminekburton is at the #SanitationEconomy Summit in Pune where she is working to amplify…
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Thank you @GratefulnessOrg for featuring us! We Lava you! https://t.co/DG2VsMpAh5
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We've got some big news to share! In January 2020, we are relaunching as Lava Maex, a nonprofit accelerator for com… https://t.co/KbEiQVOCnu
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The project, called Building 207, will provide 59 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless and chronicall… https://t.co/rOOfxnSyTG
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LA's Bridge Housing Shelters offer something that is rarely gifted to people moving through homelessness in the she… https://t.co/g9LFwjHm6m
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LA temporarily bans "no fault" evictions, providing an emergency stop-gap measure to protect renters from unfair la… https://t.co/vlhAHI4sKA
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We love this story of the thousands of volunteers, including @GuyFieri @TylerFlorence @ChefCosentino1 who are cooki… https://t.co/iXWmenQxRX
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Housing our neighbors is always the right thing to do, and according to a new study by @RANDCorporation doing so ac… https://t.co/KsRGHenrMw
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RT @Scott_Wiener: Yesterday, we stopped by the fire evacuation center @ St Mary’s Cathedral. Numerous families - some w pets - from Sonoma…