Hot water rushes out of a spout. It sprinkles down inside a portable shower. Hundreds of people from Tulare County, California line up outside. They carry towels and soap. Many of them haven’t had a shower in months! Can you imagine how they must feel?

Most of the faucets in Tulare County don’t spit out water anymore. Thanks to the California drought, the toilets don’t flush, either. Many people have been taking sponge baths from buckets. Since they can’t wash dishes, families spend hundreds of dollars on paper plates. When they feel thirsty, they drink bottled water. Instead of using water to cook at home, people have started to rely on fast food.

Many workers in Tulane County are poor already. They come home from the fields wet and dirty. Life without showers doesn’t just make them uncomfortable. It can make them sick. Many have dreamed for months of feeling hot, running water on their skin. In November, Tulare County officials brought portable showers to the people. Flatbed trucks parked outside a church. Each truck held a small structure with rows of showers built in. Hot water traveled from a nearby town through a hose. Finally! The people felt clean again.

No one in Tulare has enough water to fix the shortage. Still, many people share what water they have. The local high school lets kids come early and shower there. Charities give out gallons of water. But those few gallons of water are for small tasks only. People use them to wash their hands. They pour the water down their toilets to make them flush.

Do you live in a place with running water? The people of Tulare County will tell you: You have an incredible blessing!

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have.” —Hebrews 13:16