Should The Homeless Be Able To Wash Clothes For Free? [Video]
From the archive: published Nov 9, 2014, 11 years ago. Details may have changed since.
One of the most common complaints about the homeless is the smell that they tend to carry around with them. Anyone who has ever been in a crowded subway car with someone with someone who smells like urine knows that the problem can indeed be noxious, but two men are doing something more than complaining about it — they’re finding a way to give back to the community by taking a mobile laundromat around the neighborhood in order to give some of the displaced a place to wash their clothes.
The project was started by a cameraman at Australia’s Channel 7 News and his childhood friend who wanted to “restore respect, raise health standards and reduce strain on resources.” Run by a portable generator, the van makes specific stops that allow the homeless to feel more “fresh and clean.” Even shelters often are not equipped with the machines, causing a problem with hygiene for homeless people who may be staying there for long periods of time.