LAS VEGAS — Two local Laundromats recently participated in providing the area needy with clean laundry, as part of The Laundry Love Project, reports commercial laundry equipment distributor Western State Design (WSD).
Bruce and Leise Gilliat, owners of Las Vegas Coin Laundry, and Neal Rooney and Tim Gaud, owners of A+ Laundromat, hosted the event at their laundries. The store owners have worked with WSD in equipping their facilities with Dexter laundry equipment.
The Laundry Love Project, an initiative of Florida-based nonprofit Current, was founded by its president, Jason Sowell, who selects local self-service laundry facilities across the country to host.
“The Laundry Love Project is a wonderful idea that helps many of our less fortunate customers,” says A+ Laundromat owners Rooney and Gaud. “We are blessed that Jason … has chosen our Laundromat to host this yearly event. Our customers are more than grateful for the added help during the holiday season.”
Five student groups from Grace Point Church, who raised $525 for the event, washed clothes for customers at A+ Laundromat with their parents and mentors, according to WSD. The church has participated in the Laundry Love events four times in the past two years.
Grace Point Church Pastor Jeremy Martin believes the event “gives students a sense of gratitude for what they have,” and shows how clean clothes “bring dignity to broken people.”
Martin also praised A+ Laundromat’s owners’ participation, saying, “Tim’s been phenomenal and so accommodating to the students.”
Pastors Timberley and Andre Gray of The River, A Christian Church, partnered with Las Vegas Coin Laundry in hosting the event at the store. This is the second year the group has participated in a Laundry Love event, according to WSD.
“We are a small church, so partnering with Jason’s group allows us to come up with enough volunteers and donations to be involved,” says Timberley Gray, who adds that 430 loads of laundry were washed during the event.
“Funds are tight for families—especially at the holidays. It is a blessing that we can serve the community,” adds Andre Gray.
“Serving our community is core to our business model,” says Las Vegas Coin Laundry owners Leise and Bruce Gilliat. “We actively sought out nonprofit organizations to partner with, and since early 2013, we have hosted events and matched donations to offer free laundry to our community. We are researching ways we can offer free laundry events through the year and appreciate the chance to serve.”
Scott Harrington, WSD area manager, visited and spoke with leaders at both events. Harrington feels the company has “much common ground” with Sowell and the Laundry Love Project.
“Many Laundromat customers are families in lower economic areas. We teach our owners the importance of ‘Clean, Bright and Safe’ for every facility,” says Harrington.
Harrington and WSD are looking forward to supporting future Laundry Love Projects around the country, the company says.
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