Four Years Old

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This month, Toilet Equity turns four.

Four.

If you’ve ever known a four-year-old, you know that’s a very specific age.

Old enough to walk confidently into a room. Young enough to still ask “why?” about absolutely everything. Capable. Curious. Occasionally chaotic. Full of big dreams and very sticky hands.

Four-year-olds aren’t babies anymore. They’ve found their footing. They have opinions. They test boundaries. They imagine entire worlds into existence.

And they are still very much becoming.

That feels familiar.

When we were one, we were just learning how to stand. We were figuring out where toilets should go, how to build them, how to maintain them, and how to fund them. We were proving—mostly to ourselves—that composting toilets could be reliable, dignified infrastructure in places where flushing simply wasn’t an option.

Like a one-year-old gripping the coffee table to pull themselves up, we held on to community support.

We wobbled. We learned. We kept going.

At two, we found our balance. Systems started to take shape. Maintenance routines became second nature. Partnerships grew stronger. We stopped asking whether this work was possible and started asking how far it could go.

By three, we were growing roots. More people were using our toilets every day. More supporters were rooting for us. We weren’t just installing toilets anymore; we were building trust, credibility, and community.

Roots matter. They hold steady when storms come. They grow quietly before anyone notices what’s happening above ground.

Read more about our first three years

Now we’re four.

Four-year-olds are something special. They can run. They can imagine entire futures. They can ask impossible questions and dream big without worrying about all the reasons something “can’t” work.

At four years old, Toilet Equity is no longer brand new.

More than 200 people use our toilets every day. Each cleaning keeps waste out of alleyways, parks, and waterways while helping us return nutrients to the earth through composting.

And we’re still asking big questions.

Especially this year, as we work to permit our compost site and pioneer the composting of human waste in Colorado. Like any four-year-old with a big idea, we’re asking questions, learning as we go, and helping imagine what’s possible.

Growth isn’t always tidy. There are leaps forward and moments that require deep breaths. But the work continues, day after day.

Four years has taught us that dignity is practical. Systems matter. Consistency matters. And community makes everything possible.

It’s also taught us that steady support makes bold ideas possible.

A few dollars a month might not seem like much, but it keeps supplies stocked, toilets open, and the quiet work of dignity happening every single day.

Join the $4 for 4 Campaign

Four isn’t a finish line.

It’s a foundation.

Strong enough to stand on. Flexible enough to grow from. Young enough to keep asking “what if?”

And like any four-year-old, we’re just getting started.

Thank you for growing with us.

Want to dive into the nitty gritty of our four-year-old curiosity and see our journey of growth? Check out the full blog post for free on our Substack; paid subscribers and monthly donors get early access each month!

Read the full blog

This article originally appeared in our March 2026 email newsletter. You can subscribe to receive future updates here.