Laundry Love

Our St Cross Laundry Love ministry is back inside and in-person this month at Wash n’ Go on Artesia.

WHAT IS LAUNDRY LOVE?
We show up at the local laundromat and provide soap, dryer sheets, and the funds to help others in our community have clean clothes.

We also provide fellowship with those guests and spread the love of God.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
Last Wednesday of Each Month from 6p-10p (2 shifts 6-8p and 8-10p)

Please email Shane Mathews at [email protected] if you would like to come to a specific shift or if you can stay for the whole time.

More About Laundry Love

Laundry Love is hands-on ministry which acknowledges a visible need in our community. When people have clean clothes, people treat them like human beings. To this end, volunteers from St. Cross meet at a laundromat once a month to supply detergent, dryer sheets, and the funds necessary to clean the clothes and bedding of people who are living in the streets, their cars or in low income housing. The activity also offers time to engage in meaningful conversation between members of St. Cross and their guests who benefit from our care and concern.

During the two years growing our ministry we have created a robust accounting system, learned that clean trash bags are needed to carry clothes home in, kids still like crayons, and everyone loves pizza. Our volunteers come from various circles of St. Cross and new friendships have developed as we interact with those we serve. The community we nurture is a transient one, but we know many of our guests’ names and their stories. We have seen a few at church, spot others around town, and worry about “regulars” that are absent on laundry night. On average we assist 26 people/families each month, and our sign-in sheets reflect over 135 different names. In November our family grew as a new LL supporter provided haircuts on-site to nine guests.

Although this is a relatively new ministry for St. Cross, we join a growing community of compassion. Laundry Love began 12 years ago in Ventura, California (learn more at Laundrylove.org) and two nearby episcopal congregations who operate their own wash nights provide us with coaching and encouragement. Over two dozen volunteers from St. Cross are regularly involved with Laundry Love.