By Tyra Wilkes, Special to the AFRO

Laundry Love is an organization, which started in order to cover the laundry costs of low-income and vagrant individuals and families across the nation. Since originating in Ventura, California 14 years ago, over 750,000 people have benefited from the initiative. The idea spiraled from a simple conversation with a man named T-Bone, wherein he was asked, “How can we come alongside your life in a way that would matter to you?” He responded, “If I had clean clothes I think people would treat me like a human being.”

Since, Laundry Love has spread throughout the country, and is now in Washington, D.C.

Have you ever been running down an escalator only to see a woman in a wheelchair at the bottom? Or thrown away a half eaten sandwich and later seem a homeless child? It’s in those moments that we often feel most grateful. It’s in those moments that we wonder in what ways can we help. In order to see change happen, Laundry Love allows people to work from the inside-out by combining our direct resources to help our neighbors with the bare minimum.

During a routine Laundry Love day at a local laundromat in California, NPR spoke with volunteers and recipients of the organization who expressed their gratitude and spoke of the benefits on both ends. From volunteers who are able to donate time and resources, to women like Giovanna Cortez, a mother of three who fell on hard times after losing her job, Laundry Love has helped many.

David Clarke said Laundry Love has helped him financially and socially. “It gives me the time to come and socialize with some nice upbeat people, and feel a little bit better about myself.

For most, waking up in a warm bed and driving to the workplace is routine, but for others, simple things like having a clean shirt aren’t easy to attain. If you know anyone who can benefit from Laundry Love, here are the participating laundromats in the Washington, D.C area:

Good Hope Laundromat

1603 Good Hope Rd SE, 

Washington D.C., 20020

First Sunday of the month, 1:00-3:00pm

Sanka Perera—(202) 450-2962

Laundry World

3039 Graham Road

Falls Church, Virginia, 22042

One Saturday a month, 8:30-11:30am

(No fixed schedule—email nativitylaundrylove@gmail.com for specific dates)

Interested residents can also serve as sponsors for a designated Laundry Love day.  To learn more about Laundry Love visit laundrylove.org.