By Julie BUTCHER

The evening of Wednesday, Nov. 8 was crisp outside for Southern California, preternaturally dark due to the recent time change, but inside the Tujunga Speed Wash, it was nothing but warm.

Volunteers and clergy from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale and St. George’s Episcopal Church in La Cañada Flintridge welcomed families to Laundry Love, a monthly event held on the second Wednesday of each month. The churches provide quarters, soap, dryer sheets, and light refreshments. Volunteers help organize the logistics for the monthly evening of laundry and community.

“It started in Ventura,” recounted St. George’s Anthony Keller. “There was a homeless man named T-Bone – that was his nickname – and church folks reached out, asked him what would help. His response was simple; he said, ‘If I had clean clothes, I think people would treat me as a human being.’”

“That was 12 years ago and since then Laundry Love organized all across the country. Locally here, there are Laundry Loves in Pomona and East LA and Venice. It’s really quite simple. We show up with quarters and soap. The church members and volunteers do the rest,” Deacon Keller explained.

Now a national charity, Laundry Love, based in Portland, Oregon, describes itself as “a neighboring movement that partners with individuals, groups and laundromats to care for the poor, vulnerable and marginalized throughout the U.S.” Its goal is to “see a Laundry Love effort established in all of the 30,000-plus laundromats nationwide.”

According to one of the group’s founders, “this is our version of foot-washing.”

Most of the participants in November’s Laundry Love in Tujunga work full time, although Laundry Love is aimed primarily at helping homeless people and families.

“I have six kids and we are here every month. It means I don’t have to decide between feeding them and washing their clothes,” explained Laundry Love regular Rebecca. “But someday I’ll have enough money to pay this kindness back.”

Laundry Love is regularly scheduled for the second Wednesday of the month at the Speed Wash, 6659 Foothill Blvd. in Tujunga. Participants and volunteers should arrive in time for the first wash to start at 6:30 p.m.

For more information about the Laundry Love organization, including opportunities to participate or donate, the organization’s website is http://laundrylove.org/ or contact either church.

  Julie BUTCHER