Compass for Hope: Restoring Faith, One Cycle at a Time
Some echoes sound like polished presentations. Others sound like running water, clean clothes, and someone remembering your name.
Compass for Hope is one of those echoes.
Founded in 2018 by Mike Garrison, Compass for Hope is a nonprofit organization based in Augusta, GA serving individuals experiencing homelessness through dignity, consistency, and human connection. At its core, Compass for Hope is not just about meeting immediate needs – it’s about building trust, forming long-term relationships, and helping people find their way back to stability, purpose, and self-sufficiency.
What They Do (and Why It Matters)
Every Sunday from 10:30am-12:30pm, Compass for Hope shows up near the James Brown Arena parking lot in downtown Augusta – not as a one time service, but as a steady presence. The same place. The same people. The same commitment.
Their outreach provides:
Mobile Shower Trailers – More than just hygiene, these showers “refresh hope”. They provide a moment of dignity, relief, and humanity – something many of us take for granted, but that can be life-changing for someone navigating homelessness.
Clothing & Toiletry Distribution – Clean, appropriate clothing and essential toiletries help restore confidence, health, and self-worth. Sometimes the smallest essentials create the biggest shifts.
Mobile Laundry Services – In 2025, Compass for Hope expanded its impact with a second mobile laundry trailer, offering 19-minute quick wash cycles. Clean clothes aren’t just about comfort – they’re often a critical barrier to employment, housing, and opportunity. Removing that barrier changes what’s possible.
Powered by People
Compass for Hope is 100% volunteer led – driven by community members who believe that showing up matters. Volunteers serve in many roles, including clothing sorting and distribution, and operating the shower and laundry trailers.
No capes. No spotlights. Just people choosing to be consistent.
Why This is an Echo
Compass for Hope doesn’t rush the process. It doesn’t treat people like projects. It believes that real change happens through relationship, respect, and reliability – and THAT is what makes their work ripple outward.
This is what Echoes in Action exists to amplify.
Because when dignity is restored…
When trust is rebuilt…
When someone is guided “back to their True North”…
That echo travels far beyond a Sunday morning.
Want to be part of the echo?
Compass for Hope is completely volunteer led and powered by people who understand the power of showing up. Whether you can help distribute clothing, organize toiletries, or support the mobile trailers, there’s a place for you to serve.
If you’d like to get involved or support their cause, you can reach out to them at (706) 589-0694. They appreciate donations of specific items for blessing bags, including bottled water, travel-sized toiletries, seasonal items like sunscreen or lip balm, hand-warmers, washcloths, and men’s clothing. Monetary support is also crucial for their everyday operations.
Learn more, volunteer, or support the mission – and help someone know they are seen https://compassforhope.org/