Project Laundry consists of regular opportunities to help students and families who are struggling financially by assisting them with doing their laundry. For many families living in poverty in the Wichita area, basic needs like laundry go unmet in order to cover other mandatory expenses. In some cases, families will go weeks before washing clothes.
For kids, this affects their behavior and learning at school as this basic need is not provided. Project Laundry partners with local laundromats and businesses in cleaning the clothes for those living in shelters, motels, cars, and on the streets.
In 2020 we announced an initiative to help nearly 400 families with laundry through the distribution of laundry kits in USD 259 and in three schools in the Wichita Catholic Diocese.
How does it work? Volunteers feed the machines for three loads of laundry (no bedding) per guests. Guests load the washers and dryers and fold their own clothes.
Our Start in 2017
Project Laundry launched June 2017 serving one location at Aqua Blast.
We served 71 people our first night on June 15, 2017. The Wichita District 4 page shared our event. The post had over 1000 likes, 198 comments, and over 2000 shares. The owner of the laundromat had over 100 phone calls from people inquiring about the event.
A second was added in December 2017.
2017 Project Laundry served 468 people/an average of 78 people per month.
2017 Project Laundry covered 1,020 loads of laundry/average of 170 loads of laundry per month.
The Next Years Brought More Growth
2018 Project Laundry served 1,716 people/an average of 143 people per month.
2018 Project Laundry covered 4,634 loads of laundry/average of 386 loads of laundry per month.
2019 Project Laundry served 3,457 people/an average of 288 people per month.
2019 Project Laundry covered 7,596 loads of laundry / an average of 633 loads per month.
September 2019 Project Laundry gave $1,000 to Family Promise of Greater Wichita to go towards the purchase of a commercial washer and dryer set for their new Day House.
Project Laundry has placed washer and dryer sets in seven USD 259 schools.
South High School
Dunbar Support Center
Chester Lewis Academy
Irving Elementary
Truesdell Middle School
Woodlawn Elementary
Washington Elementary
Project Laundry added three new locations in 2018 for a total of five locations to serve Wichita each month.
The increase in attendance is attributed to the number of locations and community awareness about Project Laundry.
76.5% of the students enrolled in USD 259 for the 2019-2020 school year are from homes of poverty.
Project Laundry currently partners with GraceMed Outreach and United Healthcare Outreach teams to provide additional resources for our guests while they are doing laundry. We have also partnered with the Health and Wellness Coalition in the Evergreen neighborhood and the Wichita Public Library to provide storytime for the kiddos attending with their parents.
The laundromat owners are providing the detergent and dryer sheets. Project Laundry partner with Aqua Blast, Spring Clean Northeast, East Lincoln Laundry, Spring Clean North, and Super Laundry.
We are sponsored by RCB Bank, GracePoint Church, Grace Revolution Church, New Life Wichita, and Glenn Park Christian Church.