![]() ![]() Mark and is a skilled contractor who understood our mission. Although we had to wait a while to find the right contractor, we feel very blessed that contractor Darren Ahlf was willing to take on this project. Mark members the project was fully funded and construction began early this summer. Through a generous grant from the North Thurston Education Foundation and donations from St. Unfortunately, COVID slowed down our progress a bit, but it also helped build a strong base of support. Mark a donation as seed money for this important ministry. A childhood friend of Pastor Eric’s heard what we were trying to do and gave St. The plans were approved by the city with significant support for this project. Mark member and retired architect John Martin drew plans for converting the bathrooms in our Educational Wing into two shower rooms and two bathrooms with toilets and sinks. That’s when the Clean Kids Shower project began. ![]() From this important ministry emerged the realization, many of the guests who use our laundry also need somewhere safe for their families to bathe their bodies. Inside the room we have offered a small pantry with free food and other basic necessities. Mark members, and community members, along with the labor of church members and local contractors, a Sunday School room was transformed and converted into the no cost Clean Kids Laundry Facility which is equipped with three commercial washers and four commercial dryers. Through generous grants from the North Thurston Education Foundation, Lacey Rotary, Altrusa, St. Clean Kids began with a laundry room to address the #2 need. Absent from school, their education suffers. When a student has dirty clothes, they do not want to attend school because of embarrassment, shame, bullying, and low self-esteem. ![]() We asked the school district homeless liaison, “Besides housing, what is the greatest need?” The answer was “clean clothes.” Doing laundry in a laundromat is cost prohibitive for many families. We were deeply troubled and wondered how we can help. The mission for Clean Kids began in 2016, when we learned that 1 in 20 students in our school district (one student per classroom) was homeless. This ministry grew out of our Clean Kids Laundry. Today we dedicated our new Clean Kids Showers! We were delighted to have North Thurston Public Schools Director of Student Services to help us celebrate! These showers were built especially for use by NTPS students and families. ![]()
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