In New York, a laundromat owner recently helped 75 homeless families keep the few clothes they have clean.
Samuel Van De Cruze is a former social worker who recently opened Mr. Bubbles Laundromat in Queens, New York.
While running his business he noticed the struggle that homeless families face in meeting their laundry needs. Van De Cruze said “Clean clothes and bedding are necessities – almost as important as food and shelter.”
So as an Easter gift to his community, Van De Cruze provided free laundry service to 75 families at The Landing family homeless shelter from March 28th though the 31st.
Dignity is one of the first things to go when people are faced with the harsh reality of life on the streets. Personal hygiene becomes hard to maintain and as one’s personal appearance deteriorates, so do the chances of finding a job and ending the cycle of homelessness.
As part of his efforts, Van De Cruze made sure that all of the laundry was returned by seven AM every morning so those living at the shelter could be ready to make it to school or go on job interviews with clean clothes.
One homeless mom said “Doing laundry with a three-year-old is always difficult. This means that this week both my daughter and I won’t have to go through that – and I will be able to save this $30 for something else.”
Many residents of the area are supporting the effort by donating money to Van De Cruze