Laundry Love

“If I had clean clothes people would treat me like a human being.” - T-Bone (Eric), Laundry Love Co-Founder

Laundry Love is an organization that allows people that can't afford to do their laundry to do their laundry. This is something that many of us take for granted, but it's something that reinforces the dignity people have and deserve.

Laundry love will happen throughout the academic year at the St. Joe Laundromat. Student volunteers are present to folks who are there to do their laundry, the deeper aim is to provide a kind and compassionate presence for people as we offer them an opportunity to take care of a very practical,  but very needed part of their lives.

Here are instructions for what one does volunteering with Laundry Love:

  1. Thanks for your willingness to volunteer with Laundry Love!  

  2. Even though the laundry is what we are providing, a deeper aim is to provide a kind and compassionate presence for people as we offer them an opportunity to take care of a very practical,  but very needed part of their lives.  Some people will be more open to visiting than others. Some will have children with them and of course they can always use some diversion! And some will be quite chatty. Use your best judgment in terms of being on your  phone and computer while tending to the people who come. 

  3. Arrive at the laundromat about 4:50 pm to get things set up. Sometimes people may only have a short window of time to be away from home and their kids or perhaps they’re fitting it in between work schedules.

  4.  A bin will be provided by SJUfaith.   You’ll find several dollars worth of quarters to start. There are laundry dryer sheets in a box and then there are laundry SOAP sheets that look like dryer sheets! They are an eco-friendly laundry detergent that we have been using that work well.

  5. Please wear a name tag with your first name on it and “Laundry Love Host”.  SJUfaith will provide these for volunteers.  There’s a fine line between asking everyone if they want free laundry as some people might take it as an insult.  There will be people who arrive who you can just kind of tell are looking for it. And then at times I have,  made an announcement just sharing that if anybody is in need of some laundry help it’s available.

  6. Single folks get 2 loads and drying. Families get 4 loads and drying. 

  7.  Please use the notebook in the bin to keep track of how many people show up and how many loads you do.  

  8.  Bring bin back to St. John’s.  Let SJUfaith know how much money is left after your time.

  9. Volunteering wraps up at 8:00 pm.  Thanks for your time!

To sign up click on this link.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Patrick Martin, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry

Email: [email protected]

Tel:  320-363-2790