Saturday Wash Days: Providing Dignity and Practical Support at West Side Middle School

At West Side Middle School, Communities In Schools launched “Saturday Wash Days” in our Student Support Center, opening the building on weekends so students and families can access free laundry facilities, supplies, and a safe, welcoming space to handle this essential need.

One family faced significant barriers: they lacked transportation and couldn’t bring their laundry to school. For several weeks, the Family Support Worker and I picked up their laundry from home, washed and dried it at school, and delivered it back—ensuring clean clothes and hygiene for the children. Recognizing this wasn’t a sustainable long-term solution (due to time demands and the goal of building family independence), we pivoted quickly. By securing bus passes, the family now rides public transportation to school on their own to do laundry—maintaining support while empowering them to manage this need themselves.

Thanks to a successful DonorsChoose campaign, we upgraded our facilities with a brand-new dryer to complement the existing washer, along with ongoing supplies like detergent, dryer sheets, bleach, and stain remover. This initiative goes beyond clean clothes: it restores dignity, reduces stress for families, removes a hidden barrier to school attendance and focus, and shows students that their school community truly cares about meeting real-life needs so they can thrive.