Evan Dougoud moved to Tulsa with his father in 2019 and found a job with Youth Services of Tulsa helping young people experiencing homelessness. He quickly met many who were living in tents along the Arkansas river who would shape his future.
One of those people was a 19-year-old girl named Ashley, who helped Dougoud film a documentary series to bring awareness to homelessness in the area they called “BeHeard & BeSeen.” The stories motivated Dougoud to better understand local needs and act.
“The top three needs I kept hearing about were housing, showers and laundry,” said Dougoud, who spoke with individuals who hadn’t showered in months. “I was in shock; I couldn’t believe it. And I said, we must bring showers to people.”
In October 2020 Dougoud founded the nonprofit BeHeard Movement, which provides no-cost showers, laundry services and haircuts through its fleet of mobile trailers in East Tulsa. The nonprofit recently announced plans to expand into Oklahoma City in June with a goal of meeting more people where they are and providing additional access to basic needs.
“It’s easy to judge someone because they don’t have an address,” he says. “People do want housing; they want a job. We’re just trying to be a good neighbor. The community is rallying around this model, and it’s been impactful.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma invested in BeHeard with a grant to continue developing its mobile drop-in center. The grant is part of BCBSOK’s Blue ImpactSM program advancing efforts targeting social and economic factors that influence health, including economic opportunity and stability.
Established in 2024, the mobile drop-in center brings BeHeard’s services together in one location next to Transformation Church in East Tulsa, which recently opened a new laundry trailer. The Oklahoma City center will include washing machines, private showers, phone charging stations and operate in three areas of the city three times per week.
The centers partner with up to five community organizations to connect individuals to job programs, mail services, mental health care, case management and other local services.
“Our Blue Impact model is centered on access to care and BeHeard is helping meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable in our community, in a truly innovative way. We are proud to partner with BeHeard and are excited about their expansion to Oklahoma City,” said Brooke Townsend, BCBSOK Director of Community Affairs.
BeHeard helps up to 90 individuals each day in East Tulsa and has provided more than 8,500 showers and 2,000 haircuts since it was founded.
One of those individuals, Jamie Self, says the showers helped her, and others, reclaim their dignity. She’s staying in a Tulsa hotel near the drop-in center and is employed through BeHeard’s job program.
“This place has helped me a lot,” she says. “I can come in and wash my clothes and when you get a shower you feel a lot better; I feel good about myself.”
Many others who rely on the mobile services never make it out of homelessness, Dougoud says.
One of those people was David, who frequently stopped by the drop-in center and got to know Dougoud before passing away while waiting for permanent housing. Dougoud met his mother for the first time at the funeral. She hugged him and told him through tears how much the showers meant to her son.
“I had no clue at that time that simple showers could have so much impact,” Dougoud says.
