More people have put on their capes and have come to the rescue.
According to Fox Atlanta, a Black couple has started a nonprofit called Flowing with Blessings to assist the unhoused.
“Plain and simple, I’ve been blessed, and I know God told me to do this,” founder Nick Crawford said.
For years, people have been helping the homeless by offering showers, clothing, and food. But now, they’re adding laundry services to the mix: specifically, a converted school bus equipped with multiple washers and dryers.
“Mentally, it makes a difference that they know they are clean,” Crawford said. “They don’t have that stigma that I can’t be around that person because I smell.”
Crawford and his team developed a mobile shower unit and now operate a laundry bus outside Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta twice a week.
What’s the goal? To help as many homeless Atlantans as they can, as they know cleanliness can be beneficial for their health.
“They’re no different than us; they just, for different reasons, ended up on the street,” Crawford said.
Every day the mobile laundry service is set up, they can help at least 50 people.
One person benefiting from this nonprofit is Alex Calderon, who has had a rough last nine months. However, Flowing with Blessings has been a shining star for the Atlantan.
“It brings a little bit of confidence, every time I come here, I try to keep myself as clean as I can,” he said.
Unfortunately, showers and clean clothes are things most people take for granted. But for those on the streets of Atlanta, these are luxuries that Crawford wants to make accessible to everyone.
“If I can help them, then I’ve done my part,” Crawford said.
Crawford himself has funded much of the nonprofit.
“To encourage proper hygiene, restore dignity, and to offer fresh hope through hot showers. It is our intent to connect the unhoused community with needed resources to restore shelter, improve the conditions and quality of life for the unhoused,” the website read.
They are a registered nonprofit aiming to expand further. If you are interested in learning more or donating, click here: flowingwithblessings.org.
