Doing Good: Three laundromats give a day of free laundry to families
Who’s doing good? Each Tuesday, we write about charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To suggest an event for us to cover, contact Devika Rao at doing.goodAJC@gmail.com
To volunteer with Current, go to www.engagethecurrent.org
Doing laundry is a chore that is usually not met with excitement or fanfare. But for 121 families, doing laundry was the highlight of their day.
On April 15, Laundry by Current and the LaundryCares Foundation turned three coin laundromats into Community Centers of Hope where low income residents and families received free laundry services for the day.
The event was hosted by Current, a Tampa Bay-based nonprofit that hopes to educate people on current social initiatives and mobilizing them to bring about change. Jason Sowell, founder and CEO of Current, started the nonprofit after doing international mission trips.
“We would go to countries abroad to do community service, but there is a lot of need at home,” said Sowell. “And when it came to giving back and what we could do, we realized that everyone has a need for clean laundry. It’s a necessity that is often overlooked.”
Sowell brought the Laundry Project to Atlanta during the Coin Laundry Association’s national conference April 16-19. The project partnered with the foundation for a day of giving back.
Sun Cleaners and two Tropical Breeze locations in downtown Atlanta sponsored the events including Vend-Rite Manufacturing, which contributed all the detergent, bleach and softener needed at each site. Laundry bags were also donated for residents to easily carry their clean laundry.
Brian Wallace, president of CLA, was excited to participate in the community service event and meet the Atlanta families that it helped.
“Having clean laundry is a necessity and we are glad to give back to local families in some way through our industry. It really makes a difference to these families,” Wallace said.
Over 30 volunteers helped families wash a total of 1,161 loads of laundry, served food, passed out coloring books and gave away six children’s bikes during a raffle.
This Laundry Project was held for the first time in Atlanta, and Sowell wants to continue building the momentum to do more in the city.
“We really want people to volunteer and find ways to host more Laundry Projects throughout the city to continue giving back to our communities,” said Sowell. Each project takes about 3-4 hours and is usually held on a weekend.
To date, Current’s Laundry Project has washed 43,400 loads of laundry for 4,800 families during 192 projects nationwide. In addition to laundry, the nonprofit also hosts Hopes for Homes Project that provides home renovations and Affordable Christmas, an event that allows low income families to buy presents for their children.
The idea behind Current, which started in 2008, is a simple one. “Everyone needs hope with no strings attached,” Sowell said.
In other news: Verizon Wireless and the Atlanta Falcons raised $10,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project at its 11th Annual Network of Champions Golf Tournament on April 20 at St. Marlo Country Club in Duluth. The proceeds will help Wounded Warriors raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members. A portion of the proceeds will also support the organization's Operation Gratitude, which send gifts and care packages to Troops overseas during holidays.
