With Fiesta on the horizon, the excitement is so close you can feel it.
There will be all kinds of events that happen April 18-28. While it is a time of fun, if you’ve been to Fiesta events, you know something you must contend with is the crowds. And, inevitably, amid the hours of fun and chaos, one part of the events that no one can escape is the necessary portable toilet visits. The reluctance to use a public portable toilet in Fiesta crowds is real.
First Baptist Church of San Antonio associate pastor Rick Henderson said the area where you will find the cleanest public toilets will be in the parking lot of the church at Broadway and McCullough, where teen volunteers clean the stalls every single time one is used.
“A bunch of Porta Potties are put on our property in the parking lot for the event, and legitimately, these teenagers, they go in after each person and clean those Porta Potties,” Henderson said. “They are the cleanest bathrooms you can find in all of Fiesta.”
Henderson said about 20 years ago, the church started tossing around ideas as to how they could get involved in Fiesta in a safe way while also using it as a fundraising event.
For the record, it’s free to use the restrooms (which are not purchased by the church), but the teens who volunteer their time do so in hopes of receiving donations to attend a weeklong church camp over the summer.
Henderson said ultimately, the church saw it as a service opportunity.
“They are getting life lessons,” he said of the volunteers. “Their parents are driving them down there, parents are helping with traffic, and then the kids are cleaning the bathrooms.”
When asked what kind of attitude he sees from these teens who are cleaning the porta potties, Henderson said way better than you would expect.
“It’s funny, the ministry that comes from this, just the small talk opportunities and just talking with the neighbors, the kids actually thrive in it,” he said. “You might think it would be a little weird, right? But after the second day, it’s like, it’s fun, and everyone is a new person, and it’s an opportunity to talk with them.”
He said the service the church and volunteers are providing fits perfectly with their theme this year: “Love your neighbor.”
“It fits perfectly, because you see all kinds of neighbors, and we have to love them all,” Henderson said.
The camp
Henderson said the teens attend camps each summer, and while each is different, it is always a coming together of many churches.
“There’s a theme, they do fun stuff, they do praise and worship, and they stay there all week,” Henderson said. “It’s pretty much just typical summer camp for teens, but with Bible study intertwined throughout the week.”
Henderson said in addition to cleaning the portable toilets for donations, the teens also get paid by the city to put out chairs along the parade route.
“So, from open to close, they’re taking care of all kinds of things,” he said.
If you find yourself wandering to the toilets in the FBCSA, there is no obligation to donate, but Henderson said they are greatly appreciated by everyone who is working hard.
Henderson said the portable toilets will be set up the weekend of the parade.
Donations can be made in the form of cash.
The church is also doing a pre-sale on parking for only $20. View the parking lot map here.
To learn more about FBCSA, click or tap here.