Laundry Love Lake County Illinois
Donation protected
Consider what the world would be like if we were able to bridge economic, social, cultural and ethnic divides to connect on a personal level and build relationship, all while cultivating dignity and possibility through the practical action of feeding quarters into washers and dryers at local laundromats for the homeless and those living in poverty.
Laundry Love is all about providing help to wash the clothes and bedding for the homeless and those experiencing financial struggle or loss. We are partnering with local agencies that serve those in need, like PADS of Lake County and various Townships in Lake County along with a local laundromat in Mundelein and individuals that have a heart to nurture the well-being of those in poverty to make available a monthly laundry event. With your help, we provide the quarters and detergent as we come alongside and seek to nurture each person through compassion, intentional conversation and friendship.
Your support is the seed money needed to start this initiative as we look to find continued long-term funding through local churches and businesses to sustain this once a month. The cost of washing clothes is a financial burden for no or low-income families, single parents with children and marginalized individuals that deal with the daily challenge of food and shelter. It costs $3.00 and more just to wash a single load of laundry and $1.00 for 24 minutes of drying time - imagine the cost for a family of four. Our goal is to provide 3 loads wash & dry per family along with the detergent and plenty of great conversation and friendship building in the laundromat.
No one should have to choose between food and clean clothes.
The homeless and those living in poverty often do not have funds for clean clothes and suffer physically and emotionally. Unwashed clothes, towels and bedding are a breeding ground for bacteria, virus, illness and parasites that threaten the health of children, the elderly and those with low resistance due to poor nutrition. Clean clothes bring dignity, acceptance and confidence to the under resourced and alleviate the stress and shame kids experience at school when they are made fun of because their clothes smell bad.
Keep in mind, local agencies are not equipped to address this need and are faced with the challenge of accompanying individuals to the laundromat, (which pulls limited staff away from their primary mission/focus of providing shelter, resources, or developing their specific communities) or turning folks away as simply providing cash for laundry is not a sanctioned or effective protocol.
Because this initiative has an economic and relational component that goes beyond “doing” - as it is an expression of “being” and living “with” others - it is not intended to be a one-off event, rather an ongoing consistent monthly commitment of building friendships in the neutral space of a laundromat. The monthly event will begin March 15, 2018 in Lake County, Illinois and will be hosted at a local Laundromat with whom a rapport has been established. The host location is clean, well maintained and has a clean restroom.
In addition to providing care for those struggling financially, this bridge building initiative goes beyond feeding quarters into laundry machines to bring economic relief or creating the option for those living in poverty to redirect funds toward food, gas or medical costs and daily necessities. This is about creating community, engaging in meaningful conversations and really listening all while encouraging responsibility and dignity – it’s about love.
Laundry Love is all about providing help to wash the clothes and bedding for the homeless and those experiencing financial struggle or loss. We are partnering with local agencies that serve those in need, like PADS of Lake County and various Townships in Lake County along with a local laundromat in Mundelein and individuals that have a heart to nurture the well-being of those in poverty to make available a monthly laundry event. With your help, we provide the quarters and detergent as we come alongside and seek to nurture each person through compassion, intentional conversation and friendship.
Your support is the seed money needed to start this initiative as we look to find continued long-term funding through local churches and businesses to sustain this once a month. The cost of washing clothes is a financial burden for no or low-income families, single parents with children and marginalized individuals that deal with the daily challenge of food and shelter. It costs $3.00 and more just to wash a single load of laundry and $1.00 for 24 minutes of drying time - imagine the cost for a family of four. Our goal is to provide 3 loads wash & dry per family along with the detergent and plenty of great conversation and friendship building in the laundromat.
No one should have to choose between food and clean clothes.
The homeless and those living in poverty often do not have funds for clean clothes and suffer physically and emotionally. Unwashed clothes, towels and bedding are a breeding ground for bacteria, virus, illness and parasites that threaten the health of children, the elderly and those with low resistance due to poor nutrition. Clean clothes bring dignity, acceptance and confidence to the under resourced and alleviate the stress and shame kids experience at school when they are made fun of because their clothes smell bad.
Keep in mind, local agencies are not equipped to address this need and are faced with the challenge of accompanying individuals to the laundromat, (which pulls limited staff away from their primary mission/focus of providing shelter, resources, or developing their specific communities) or turning folks away as simply providing cash for laundry is not a sanctioned or effective protocol.
Because this initiative has an economic and relational component that goes beyond “doing” - as it is an expression of “being” and living “with” others - it is not intended to be a one-off event, rather an ongoing consistent monthly commitment of building friendships in the neutral space of a laundromat. The monthly event will begin March 15, 2018 in Lake County, Illinois and will be hosted at a local Laundromat with whom a rapport has been established. The host location is clean, well maintained and has a clean restroom.
In addition to providing care for those struggling financially, this bridge building initiative goes beyond feeding quarters into laundry machines to bring economic relief or creating the option for those living in poverty to redirect funds toward food, gas or medical costs and daily necessities. This is about creating community, engaging in meaningful conversations and really listening all while encouraging responsibility and dignity – it’s about love.
Organizer
Susan Woller
Organizer
Vernon Hills, IL
