By 2 p.m. every third Monday of the month, lines are forming around Leah’s Laundromat on the Q in Kansas City, Kansas. It’s like any other laundromat in the Kansas City metro except it’s Community Laundry Day and that means free laundry.
Leah and John McPherson are the owners of the laundromat. When they opened up shop at 1920 Quindaro Boulevard they didn’t realize the impact it would have on the community.
“I know this is a laundromat, but I’ve learned over the two years, two and a half years that we’ve been open, it’s more than just laundry,” Leah McPherson said.
Community Laundry Day goes deeper than cleaning clothes.
Outreach workers from the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County are assessing customers’ health needs on event day. Ben Carpenter, the New Roots for Refugees Education and Outreach Coordinator, can been found passing out free produce to customers that was grown at local refugee owned farms.
Kim Weaver is the Local Health Action Team Lead for Communities Organizing to Promote Equity or COPE. Her organization is the primary funder for the event and covers the utility bill and food for the day. Other funding and donations come from Laundry Love, the K-State Research Extension, Mothers of Wyandotte County, Keeler’s Woman Center, and Ladies of Pearl.
“It’s a beautiful thing. It really brings joy to my heart to know that somebody has been in a space that they couldn’t do something and now we’re able to help them have access to clean clothes,” Weaver said.