Doing the laundry is a chore that most people perform without a second thought. Walk to laundry room, insert dirty clothes in the washer, put wet clothes in dryer and clothes come out clean. Fold and put away. In between the task, folks make dinner, play with their kids or watch television.
It’s not a simple task for people who don’t have a washer and dryer. For them, the routine includes loading the car with baskets of dirty clothes, taking care to also bring laundry detergent, dryer sheets, quarters and something to do while waiting.
Those who have limited resources have to face more than the mere inconvenience of a few extra steps. How many loads can we do this week? Do we have enough quarters? Will the laundry detergent cover the number of loads?
Photos courtesy of Starr Anderson
It was seeing this need that prompted St. Peter’s Episcopal Church of Plant City to participate in Laundry Love, a national nonprofit that partners with local laundromats to help low-income families with the cost of washing clothes and bedding.
“I knew Laundry Love was in other cities but not near us,” said Rev. Denise Healy. “After I checked the prices at the laundromat and saw how much it costs to do laundry, I knew it was something we could get involved with.”
It can cost $5.25 for a wash cycle in a machine that holds a double load and $9 for a machine that holds eight loads. Drying clothes costs 25 cents for four or five minutes, depending on the machine.
Since last May, a small group of volunteers sets up a table at Olde Henry’s Coin Laundry, located in the Strawberry Hill Shopping Center at 3402 W. Baker St., on the second Monday of every month between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
“We ask everyone who comes in if they want assistance from us to pay for their laundry,” said Healy. “Sometimes they refuse but oftentimes they’ll accept our help.”
They have a set limit of $20 per family and $400 per night. Some months they’ve come close to that amount but haven’t surpassed it yet. In their first year, they impacted the lives of 640 people by paying for 1,392 loads of laundry.
The ministry started with $100 and a large box of Earth Breeze detergent sheets provided by Laundry Love. They still have plenty of detergent sheets, but the $100 is long gone. However, church parishioners and community donors provide the funding to continue the service.
Healy is appreciative of the many laundromat patrons who see what they’re doing and then make a donation. “People who are in the laundromat come up to us, we’re wearing our Laundry Love t-shirts and name tags, and thank us for what we’re doing and make a donation,” said Healy.
Donations can be made to Laundry Love by dropping it off at the church office or mailing a check (earmarked for Laundry Love) to 302 Carey St., Plant City FL 33563.