As many of you know, we had to change the date and location of our November laundry event at the last minute. We got the word out but were still concerned that we would miss connecting with some of our friends. Thankfully we had a great turnout and washed nearly 1600 pounds of clothing and bedding for 25 families. We would like to thank QED Laundry in Milwaukie for so kindly providing LoveOne OC with a temporary event location.👕👖👚🧦
🌟Girl Scout Troop #45193 volunteered at our event and were AMAZING! Not only did they bring much needed items for the resource table, they brought kind hearts and a willingness to jump in and get laundry done. One of our neighbors came in with several large bags of clothing to wash and as they were checking in, one Girl Scout looked at Tom with huge eyes and said, “They must have forgotten to do their laundry.” Tom explained that some people don’t have washers and dryers so coming to see us at the laundromat is the only way they can get their clothes and bedding washed, and sometimes that means going an entire month without doing laundry.
A family in our community also came for the first time and volunteered with us – thank you Stephanie, Orion, and Brook! They brought donuts, which were a huge hit – as was Brook, who started the evening handing out the donuts and ended it being second in charge to Tom. 🍩 One of our friends insisted that she and Brook needed milk to go with their donuts, so she walked to a nearby store to buy two small containers of milk while her clothes were in the wash.😊
Another friend who was there to do laundry brought an enormous bag of warm winter coats in men’s sizes to share. Add a generous donation of hand knitted winter hats and hand warmers to the selection of coats, and many of our friends left the laundromat Thursday night better equipped for the cold weather than when they arrived.
Every single one of our friends also left the laundromat that night with a reusable bag of snacks, wipes, and a gift card to Oregon City Grocery Outlet thanks to the incredible generosity of Dan Mills. Thanks Dan! 🙌
One of our friends, wearing only a t-shirt and jeans, stood near the resource table looking hesitantly at the bags of items we had out. She was hoping we might have a warm coat in a women’s medium, one of the few items we didn’t have. One of our volunteers talked with S to find out the kind of coat she wanted, even down to preferred colors, and drove to the store where they found just what S described…and on sale at an amazing price. Giving someone a warm coat on a freezing night, a coat that is soft and new, and was chosen just for them? Priceless. 🧥
We met a new friend, L, who had never attended at LoveOne laundry event. L thanked us for washing her clothes and asked what group or church we are affiliated with. We explained that LoveOne is its own non-profit, that our mission is very clearly three things: clean laundry, personal care resources, and a safe space to connect with others. L was visibly taken aback that we had no other agenda than to provide those three things.
Another new friend, B, exclaimed, “Guitar strings!!!” when asked if there are any items we could help him with. He could also use a pair of rain pants size 36/32, and an XXL rain coat. If any of those requested items strike a chord with you (pun intended) and you would like to provide those for B, please message us. 🎸
LoveOne friends, thank you for another successful laundry event – we couldn’t do it without you. ❤️