A volunteer hands out laundry detergent and hygiene supplies at an Uplift Laundry Truck event, where community members sign in to receive free laundry assistance.
For many people, doing laundry is part of the rhythm of life, just another chore on days consumed with the drudgery of housework and running errands.
And while many of us dread laundry day, there are others who consider it a luxury they can’t always afford.
When access to laundromats is limited, it creates hardships that often go unnoticed. But Durham educators Yasini and Josh Carr took notice.
A participant loads clothes into a commercial washer at a free laundry event, part of the nonprofit’s effort to provide laundry services and supplies to low-income residents in the Triangle.
Through their work in public schools, they’ve witnessed firsthand the suffering and low self-esteem kids and families face when they lack consistent access to clean clothing or bedding because of cost, lack of transportation, housing instability, or limited laundry facilities in their community.
“We’ve seen how unmet basic needs can negatively impact children’s confidence, health, and their ability to learn,” Yasini says.
In 2023, the Carrs launched Uplift Laundry Truck, a nonprofit service that promotes dignity, health, and stability by providing individuals and families with resources for clean clothing and essential hygiene products.
Fueled by grants, individual donations, and corporate contributions, Uplift Laundry Truck hosts public laundry events in the Triangle, providing prepaid $10 laundry cards, free detergent, and other supplies to anyone who shows up. Uplift Laundry Truck also distributes basic hygiene kits for participants, and all events are open to everyone with no pre-screening or reservations required.
Yasini recalls helping a woman who had been evicted from her apartment and had to move out quickly. That same week, she had lost her job and had several loads of laundry she was not able to wash.
“Someone referred her to us,” Yasini recalls. “She was able to come to one of our events and wash all her laundry, and it was one bright spot in the middle of a challenging time for her.”
A student nurse from NC Central University checks a community member’s vital signs, supporting Uplift’s mission to connect attendees to health and support services in addition to free laundry assistance.
In just three years, Uplift Laundry Truck has grown beyond a simple service provider into a powerful community builder.
On a warm Saturday in August, the Rise N Rinse Laundromat in Durham was a hive of activity as local residents lined up for a unique festival of washing and learning.
Book Harvest North Carolina came with free books and literacy resources, representatives of United Healthcare connected families with health services, student nurses from the NC Central University nursing program provided free blood pressure checks, and Veterans Bridge Home shared resources and support for veterans. Raleigh’s A Place at the Table provided snacks for everyone.
While it was just another day of service for Uplift Laundry Truck and volunteers, for the participants the event was a lifeline. Just like food and shelter, cleanliness is considered one of life’s necessities, and according to the Coin Laundry Association, millions of Americans access coin laundries every year.
Giving the Basics, a nonprofit that provides hygiene products for struggling families and individuals, finds that one in three low-income families has difficulty affording basic household necessities, and nearly 74% of families who can’t afford them skip doing laundry. Of these families, more than half prioritize washing only their children’s clothes.
A Book Harvest volunteer offers free children’s books at a partner table, part of the nonprofit’s effort to connect community members with additional resources.
Kids without access to clean clothes are more likely to experience chronic absenteeism, which the US Department of Education (DOE) defines as missing at least 10% of school days, or approximately 18 days in a year, for any reason, excused or unexcused. Further, the DOE cites research suggesting that children who are chronically absent for multiple years between preschool and second grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the third grade. This has been shown elsewhere to make students four times more likely to not graduate from high school.
Josh and Yasini Carr
The Carrs have seen these statistics play out in real life.
“We get referrals from social workers who tell us stories about children who miss on average a week of school, with parents reporting that it’s because their clothes are not clean,” Yasini says. “We view our services as a simple way to help families address a critical need and ensure their kids go to school.”
Recognizing that the lack of transportation is a problem for some people, the Carrs formed a goal to purchase a truck and run a mobile laundry service that can go directly into communities. The dream is still in the making.
“We quickly found out that buying a laundry truck is a very hard goal to accomplish, so we developed our partnerships with local laundromats in place of the truck until we can fund one,” Yasini says. “So we organize our laundry events in the areas that are most accessible to public transportation.”
For those with urgent needs who are unable to travel to scheduled laundry events, Uplift also runs a rapid response program addressing individual needs and providing direct assistance.
Referrals from schools and social services lead the Carrs to strategic locations, enabling them to pinpoint areas with the greatest need. Local laundromats are always eager to help.
A Veterans Bridge Home representative offers information on veterans’ services at a partner table during Uplift Laundry Truck’s August event.
Laundry events take place at least monthly and typically last four hours, running from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. With a heavy presence on social media and relationships with agencies and other service providers, the Carrs get the word out. They distribute flyers to their partner agencies and rely on word of mouth.
The Carrs also attend local health fairs and festivals to showcase their services.
“We serve a broad spectrum of people, including families with children, people experiencing housing instability, senior citizens, and college students,” Yasini says. “We’ve helped working households struggling to cover basic expenses while faced with deciding whether they can afford to wash their clothes, buy food, or pay their light bill.”
Volunteers hand out resource materials and connect with a community member at a table inside Rise N Rinse Laundromat in Durham.
Yasini estimates that Uplift Laundry Truck has served more than 1,200 people since 2023. Participation at the monthly wash and wellness events has grown to about 60 families, and when the Carrs host special events, they often serve over 200 people. “The referrals keep increasing,” Yasini says.
The holiday season will offer several giving opportunities for anyone who wants to help.
A laundromat staff member assists a participant during an Uplift Laundry Truck event, which partners with local laundromats to provide prepaid $10 laundry cards and services.
On November 11, Uplift Laundry Truck is partnering with the Kendra Scott jewelry store at Streets at Southpoint. Those who support the event will get a discount on jewelry, and Uplift Laundry Truck will receive a portion of the proceeds.
“We also accept donations through our website, and anyone can sponsor a family or an individual by donating funds to enable them to wash their clothes or sponsor an entire event,” Yasini says.
Ten dollars pays for two small loads or one large load, and that includes a dryer and detergent. People can visit upliftlaundrytruck.org to request assistance, volunteer, sponsor a laundry event, or support the mobile laundry truck campaign.
“We want people to understand that laundry insecurity is real, and it is something communities can solve together,” Yasini says. “We are not simply paying for loads of laundry; we are removing barriers and building healthier communities.”
upliftlaundrytruck.org
@upliftlaundrytruck
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