CSC ServiceWorks Pilots Signature Services Program to Support Community Centers

With one in four households not owning a washing machine, clean clothes don’t come easy for everyone, especially those in our most underrepresented neighborhoods.

As part of our Community Works social impact initiative, we are proud to announce that we will be providing our signature services, including equipment donations and ongoing service to community centers in each of our markets. To help build these relationships, we are partnering with Social Current (formerly the Alliance for Strong Families), the most extensive national umbrella organization of community centers.

In addition to providing laundry equipment and services, our local CSC teams will partner with these community centers on other volunteer opportunities throughout the year, such as donating food and clothing, painting or refurbishing playgrounds or common areas, and more.

During the 2020 holiday season, we tested the Signature Services program in four markets. This pilot confirmed that laundry service is a real need for Community Centers, yet many have suboptimal equipment and space and lack of means to ensure proper service. It also confirmed that our teams are ready and willing to help out, but their service expertise and resources can have an immediate impact for those in need. These initial partnerships were a success and illustrated the power and dignity of having access to clean clothing.

Finding Destiny (Houston, TX) aims to enhance the quality of life and build self-esteem for teen mothers, low-income females, victims of sex trafficking, and girls in foster care.

Toseika Thomas, Finding Destiny’s Executive Director, was using her personal washer and dryer at home to make sure the girls had access to clean clothes. CSC’s Houston team, led by Brian Cates and Rubin Ramirez, came to her home, installed a new dryer to replace her broken dryer, and filed her shelves with laundry detergent and dryer sheets.

“Thank you very much; your generosity is truly appreciated and priceless,” said Thomas.

With the pandemic coming to a close, Finding Destiny is working to find a permanent space with laundry services on-site, and the CSC team is on standby to install and service their laundry equipment.

Pillsbury United (Minneapolis, MN) offers programs, neighborhood centers, and social enterprises for more than 55,000 individuals and their families each year. Through their programs, they seek to create pathways to a prosperous future, from education to jobs to economic mobility.

One of Pillsbury’s locations did not have laundry machines on site but required laundry services to support their operations and also support members of the community that lacked access to laundry services.

Pillsbury has a daycare with daily needs to wash bedding and clothing daily. They also operate a full-service bicycle shop that provides internships to homeless youth. The addition of laundry equipment allows these employees to wash their clothes and rags after working with greasy products.

The CSC team, led by Tim Jensen, donated and installed three washers and three dryers to help offset program costs of the daycare and allow Pillsbury to support the local community better.

Northwest Settlement House (Chicago, IL) takes a comprehensive approach to building community by offering immediate assistance for short-term emergencies and access to various programs and services.

The community center’s programs include educational, antipoverty, early childhood, and engagement activities to support the community.

Chad Wehner and Jeff Courtney donated one stackable washer and dryer unit, replacing an old, barely functioning one for their early childhood programs. Having access to a new machine and service ensures that the kids and their families don’t have to worry about access to clean clothes.

“Chad and the installation team were kind and very efficient,” said Tony Feliciano, Facilities Director at Northwest Settlement House. “They understood that our needs were slightly different with space that could only accommodate a stacked unit, but they were able to provide one that worked for us.”

The Family Partnership (Minneapolis, MN) works to remove barriers and clear the path for success for those who have experienced deep poverty and trauma by anticipating and addressing the evolving needs of vulnerable families and individuals.

CSC’s Minneapolis team donated two washers and dryers, giving The Family Partnership the ability to offer laundry services to the children and families served by their multicultural therapeutic preschool and PRIDE (Promoting Recovery, Independence, Dignity, and Equality) program serving survivors of sex trafficking.

A washer and dryer on-site at the preschool helped bridge the gap to clean clothes for families experiencing barriers. For PRIDE participants, housing precarity and lack of stability make it difficult for them to have consistent laundry access, especially for those who experience chronic homelessness. By removing the stressor of having no clean clothes, survivors can focus more on healing and recovery. One PRIDE program member says, “Having clean clothes helps you raise your head high despite your circumstances.”

CSC will be activating more than a dozen partnerships over the next few months as we work towards our overall goal of establishing at least one community center partnership in each market that we serve.

“We know that our machines and service help make life easier and enhance the lives of millions of people every day,” said Mark Hjelle, CEO at CSC ServiceWorks. “Our teams are excited about the opportunity to utilize our skills to act on what we believe – that all members of our community deserve the dignity and confidence that comes with access to clean clothes.”