Not-for-profit groups in Albany are in the process of transforming a trailer into a mobile laundry station for those experiencing homelessness in the Great Southern.
Having secured washing machines, dryers — donated by Retravision Albany — and the box trailer they plan to install them in, Albany Homelessness Focus Group is now assessing quotes to complete the fit-out, including signage, plumbing and electricity.
Project co-ordinator Jamie Mawer is this week tasked with approaching groups for funding.
“We hope to maybe get a bit of money from all the groups (in AHFG) so that’s two Lions clubs, Soroptomists, CWA (Country Women’s Association), Inner Wheel, the Masonic Lodges and Apex,” he said.
“We’re looking for about $1000 from each ideally; we have a Bunnings sausage sizzle fundraiser coming up on the 8th of August so hopefully we get a bit of cash from that.”
When completed, the laundry will have washing and drying facilities, a tea and coffee station a table and chairs for people to use as they wait for their washing to be done.
This will be the latest in the coalition’s string of homelessness projects, which includes donating backpack beds to Pivot Support Services and fundraising initiatives.
“When you’ve got a rental vacancy rate of only 0.4 per cent and rents are really really high, we’ve got a lot of people who are the invisible homeless,” Mr Mawer said.
“You don’t know that they’re there but they’re couch surfing or in insecure accommodation and we wanted to join forces to do something together because we’re too small individually as clubs to do anything too big.
“It was a lady from Vinnies who actually said the mobile laundry would be a distinctly useful thing to do.”
He hopes to have the project up and running in six months and encourages anyone interested to join up to any of the respective service groups or donate funds.
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