The water from a major flood is contaminated with mud, chemicals, livestock and human waste, bacteria, and many more unpleasant and even dangerous elements. But salvaging essential things, like clothing, is often necessary. So how do you make it safe and wearable, especially if your home appliances are damaged?
There’s a ministry for that.
It’s a very specialized outreach that’s part of Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief. A team, equipped with mobile laundry units and showers, works day and night taking in as many as 125 loads of laundry each day. This summer, a determined volunteer team of Christians set-up their equipment outside Perry Elementary School in Hazard, Kentucky, after traumatic floods hit the mountainous eastern part of the state.
The situation there was “really sad,” shares Carolyn Gray, who’s in charge of the laundry units. “Most of the people live in the valleys – the hollows, they call them – and when this happened it all come flooding right down through there. And it took away their homes, took away their cars, wiped out schools, damaged hospitals. It was pretty severe for that area.”
As soon as word got around that washing machines were available, flood survivors came by with loads of yucky clothing. “The people come, drop off their clothing. We tag it, then run it through for them – and then, give them a call when it’s done.”
And there’s no charge.
Carolyn confirmed that all the laundry is returned to the owner neatly folded. “Oh, yes. We don’t just want to dry them… or wad them up in a bag (she giggles and smiles). We try to fold it nice so that they feel like something special has been done for them.” Because it has.
When a disaster happens, “We try to get in there as soon as we can – and do whatever we can – to help them.” And Carolyn shares that she and her team are “absolutely” blessed by serving people who have lost so much. “We get blessed, sometimes I say, more than they do. You go out to help people and then you receive the blessings, without a doubt!”
In our complete podcast interview just below, Carolyn shares that while dropping off soiled clothing, people often open up about their fears and circumstances, which can lead to comforting prayer and encouragement.
