Washing away struggles: mobile laundry brings relief to the Cape Fear’s homeless communtiy
NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — Baskets of clean clothes and washers and dryer units stacked in a cramped space.
Welcome to the mobile laundry trailer of Catholic Charities of the Cape Fear Region.
The organization partnered with First Baptist Church and the Harrelson Center to launch a one-of-a-kind, free mobile laundry service for homeless community members.
“This has been a beautiful synergy where we can come together and really treat the whole person,” said Emilie Hart.
Organizers like Emilie Hart say it’s already making a big impact, connecting those without a permanent place to live with various other services that are available.
“A lot of people are doing mobile showers in the community for the unhoused or people who just don’t have access to water, and so we’re like ‘okay perfect,’ people can get a shower but then also clean clothing at the same time,” said Hart.
Hart is the Regional Director for Catholic Charities of the Cape Fear Region.
Right now, the mobile laundry unit operates from Tuesday evenings through Wednesday morning in the back parking lot between First Baptist Church and the Harrelson center.
However, it has the ability to move based on community needs.
Hart says this service helps by restoring a sense of dignity and care for those with lesser means.
“You know, doing, or taking a shower without having access to clean clothes when you get out is only half fulfilling, and so the dignity that Tuesday nights bring really does feel like, it just wraps the whole thing in like a bow in a sense where people can access multiple services and feel good at the end of the night,” said Hart.
Hart says more neighbors are utilizing the service each week and that the growing need for this service has increased rapidly since it started.
“In August this summer and we’ve been rolling ever since. I think now we’re at the end of November. We’re on like around 300 loads of laundry already,” says Hart.
Layla Perez is the Emergency Assistance Specialist with Catholic Charities of the Cape Fear Region and says it’s all about the connections made through dirty clothes.
“Dignity worth of a person is one of the main things they teach in social work, so again, meeting a person where they’re at, making sure they’re dignified, making sure they are feeling worthy, making sure we’re reminding ourselves to feel worthy of this person being in front of us,” said Perez.
