He helped 75 families every day during Easter week
via Twitter
Samuel Van De Cruze is a former social worker who recently opened Mr. Bubbles Laundromat in Queens, New York. While running his business he noticed the struggle that homeless families face in having their laundry needs met. “Clean clothes and bedding are necessities – almost as important as food and shelter,” Van De Cruze said in a press release. “People need clean clothes to function and to be healthy.” So as an Easter gift to his community, Van De Cruze provided free laundry service to 75 families at The Landing family homeless shelter from March 28th though the 31st.
Dignity is one of the first things to go when people are faced with the harsh reality of life on the streets. Personal hygiene becomes hard to maintain and as one’s personal appearance deteriorates, so do the chances of finding a job and ending the cycle of homelessness. In February, GOOD reported on a hairstylist who restores dignity to those that live on the streets, and now a man in Queens is helping the homeless by doing their laundry.
As part of his efforts, Van De Cruze made sure that all of the laundry was returned by seven AM every morning so those living at the shelter could be ready to make it to school or go on job interviews with clean clothes. “Doing laundry with a three-year-old is always difficult for both of us,” a shelter resident named Catina B. said. “This [donation from Mr. Bubbles] means that this week both she and I won’t have to go through that – and I will be able to save this $30 for something else.”
If you live near Queens, New York and want to support Mr. Van De Cruze for helping the community, take your pocket full of quarters over to Mr. Bubbles Laundry, located at 9423 Astoria Blvd.
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