Whitehorse laundry project helping community, one load of laundry at a time
New project in Whitehorse aims to clean clothes, fill stomachs and build community
There's something happening at a Whitehorse laundromat on the second Tuesday of every month — clothes are being cleaned, free of charge.
The Community Laundry Project, a partnership between Whitehorse United Church and the Yukon Employees Union, offers free laundry service to anyone who needs it.
"Sometimes you want to fix the whole world and sometimes you can only do it one load of laundry at a time," says Bev Brazier, minister at Whitehorse United Church.
"Laundry isn't a small thing and if money is tight, extra loads of laundry can be hard to do."
On one December evening, the project's popularity is evident.
People wait patiently with bags and baskets of laundry in hand. Many keep a watchful eye on a child or two.
We've heard stories of people having to choose between buying food ... and doing laundry.- Charlene Smith, Yukon Employees Union
One elderly man with a cane grabs a bowl of chili and a cup of coffee as he waits for a machine to open up.
"We've heard stories of people having to choose between buying food, buying a meal and doing laundry to have clean clothes to go to work," says Charlene Smith, a volunteer with the Yukon Employees Union.
"So we are providing a very valuable service."
Building a community within a community
The community laundry nights aren't just about cleaning clothes. Warm meals and fresh coffee are also given out, and on one occasion, Rice Krispies squares were made to celebrate a regular attendee's birthday.
"We're creating a community here, people are coming out and meeting each other and getting the supports they need," Smith says.
"It's just an amazing thing we're able to provide for anybody that needs to do their laundry. We're not turning anybody away."
There's good news for the community laundry project. They've secured funding that will allow them to continue the project into 2020.
The event takes place on the second Tuesday of each month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Family Hotel Laundromat on Ray Street.
With files from George Maratos