Local nonprofit helps pay for laundry expenses

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Clean Slate Advocates is a nonprofit that partners with All in One Laundry in Springfield. The program helps people who can't pay for laundry supplies, or do their laundry. Robert Frazier, the Executive Director of Clean Slate, says while this is a common issue, there are not many resources to help people with it. 

"We realized that there's a lot of folks out here that are not only homeless, we have working class people that are working every day that find it very difficult, as the rising costs for rents, mortgages, utilities, gas, food," said Frazier. "Laundry was was something they needed on a daily basis, but people just couldn't afford to do it." 

The program on average helps between 20-25 customers a day, and pays for 30-40 loads of laundry a day. But the program is growing and Frazier estimates in 2024, Clean Slate Advocates will pay for over a million loads of laundry. 

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Frazier says the lack of access to clean clothes and linens is not just a physical health concern, but a mental health concern. Students who have to wear the same clothes multiple days in a row, or employees going to work in the same outfits are often ostracized. 

"You just never know where people have been, what they've been through, where they are now," said Frazier. "We're a community and that means there's those that have and then there's those that have not, and if we do a better job of helping one another, it'd be a much better world that we live in."

In addition for helping people pay for wash and dry cycles, Clean Slate Advocates provides soap, bleach, and dryer sheets. If someone needs additional linens, Clean Slate can provide bath towels, washcloths, sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. 

Frazier said Clean Slate is a 501(c)(3) and relies on donations from the public. They have a program where you can give a load when you buy a load, or donate directly to the program. For more information, and how to donate, you can visit the Clean Slate Advocates website.

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