The Community Laundry Co-operative, in Ottawa’s Vanier neighbourhood, has been providing affordable laundry services for people with low incomes since 1999. Each year, it was a struggle to make ends meet and then COVID-19 brought the co-op to its knees. On the verge of shutting its doors, the Ottawa Community Foundation, City of Ottawa, Centre for Social Enterprise Development and RBC Foundation all contributed to fill the gap in its operating budget.
Laundry is not something many of us think about, but it allows cleanliness, protects physical health, enhances self-worth and increases social connection. Holly Petersen started at the co-op as a volunteer and is now a trainee. “Affordable clean laundry helps mental health and helps people keep and find jobs,” she says. “Kids need clean clothes so they’re not bullied at school. Clean laundry is how society sees you. So, affordable laundry is really important.”
The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a call to action, adopted by 193 countries, to create greener, inclusive economies and resilient societies. The Community Laundry Co-operative (CLC) works in support of the UNSDG number three: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.
Nestled in Heartwood House, the CLC is part non-profit, part social enterprise. Members pay $2 per year to join the community. Here they can wash and dry a load, receiving soap, bleach, dryer sheets and a tea or a coffee, all for $2. Many co-op members rely on government programs; most live in poverty. Many are newcomers to Canada and many are seniors.
The CLC also supports UNSDG NO POVERTY. The 200 members have a community that cares. Beatriz (Betty) Banos Matos, social service worker and counsellor, refers individuals and families to services: summer camps, back-to-school programs, employment help, language training, child-care and cultural services. “Arguably, access to volunteer and paid training, as well as referrals to organizations that can help people access employment might challenge the root causes of poverty,” says Phil Robinson, executive director.
By offering access to affordable laundry services, counselling and referral services, the CLC works in support of the UNSDG REDUCED INEQUALITIES, ensuring no one is left behind.
Robinson’s eyes well up as he shares a story. A woman, a newcomer to Canada, who did not speak French or English, with two young children, was in an abusive relationship. Through counselling and referral services, she obtained language training, access to childcare and enrolled in post-secondary education. The co-op helped her leave her abusive partner.
The co-op sustains itself through a commercial laundry. Clients include medical clinics, acupuncturists, massage therapists and small hotels. And for members, it means job preparation, work experience and some income. Robinson says he is not thinking globally at the moment. His focus is on making this service available more broadly within the city of Ottawa.
“One of the models I’ve heard here is that ‘we are changing lives – one load of laundry at a time.’”
