Laundry Love provides clean clothes, pizza and prayer as outreach project

By Judie Holcomb-Pack When St. Anne’s Episcopal Church was thinking about outreach projects, they wanted something that would not only touch people, but also allow time to get to know them personally. Laundry Love was the answer. Everyone has to do laundry, but for people who do not have access to a washer and dryer at home, they have to use a local laundromat. If you haven’t used a laundromat recently, you may be surprised at what it costs to wash and dry a load of laundry. For families on tight budgets, it can take a chunk out of their monthly income. Joined by volunteers from St. Anne’s Episcopal, St. Paul’s Episcopal and Wake Forest Campus Ministry, Laundry Love began to visit a local laundromat to offer to pay the cost for anyone to wash and dry their clothes. To further the personal connections, they also provided pizza and read books to children while their parents took a break. “Most people think we are a bit crazy when we ask them, ‘Can we pay for your laundry?’ said Rev. Ginny Wilder, rector of St. Anne’s. “The pause is palpable as they do the math in their head or make sure...