Cleanup: Volunteers unmuddy what the waters did to clothes,
The idea of doing laundry for flood victims came early this week when Kristan Johnson and her friend Jennifer Reyes realized people would need clean clothes.
Trash bags of filthy fabrics sit along the wall of Wash Day Laundry, muddy liquid oozing from the black plastic onto the light, speckled tiles.
Inside are remnants plucked from saturated houses: muck-soaked clothes, bedding, tablecloths and other items flood victims hope can be saved. They’ve already lost so much, they say. Maybe they can at least salvage their favorite shirt or beloved quilt.
And so for days they have trekked to this laundromat and handed their bags to total strangers pledging to do their best.
Since Tuesday — as the community has scrambled to recover from the Memorial Day weekend storms that took lives and destroyed homes — scores of volunteers with Wimberley Flood Laundry Relief have spent countless hours washing, drying and folding laundry for flood victims for free. The effort is supported by individual donations and the group’s GoFundMe online fundraising page, said Kristan Johnson, one of four women who launched the effort.
“We have a small army behind us,” she said.
And that army is doing things other cleaners won’t.
When Mary Faye Way’s bedroom was submerged in 5 feet of water, her bedspread was among the many items damaged. The bedspread was special to her because it was made with the fabric Way brought back from India in 1986. But when she brought it to a dry cleaner, they turned her away because they didn’t want to deal with the mess.
“The cleaners were kind of nasty and wouldn’t take it and suggested I come here,” she said and praised the volunteers’ kindness. “They’ve been very nice.”
The idea of doing laundry for flood victims came early this week when Johnson and her friend Jennifer Reyes quickly realized that people would need clean clothes. The women teamed up with two others they met on Facebook, then asked Wash Day’s owners to join the effort. The company agreed to let the women use their machines at a 50 percent discount.
“What I wasn’t prepared for was the looks on people’s faces, the shocked and dazed looks when they came in,” said co-owner Jamie Bishop.
Many items were in bad shape, drenched in gasoline, chemicals and mud. Others were frayed and fragile from the beating they had taken.
“You’re frightened to put them in the laundry but it’s the only chance they have,” said Sally Beggs, a Dripping Springs volunteer who has spent hours washing, drying and folding clothes over the last few days.
On Thursday morning, volunteers streamed in to help. Bekie Anderson brought in a group of home-schooled children, who spent time writing personal notes to include with the laundry.
“We’re praying for you,” one wrote. “We’re praying that the flood will stop.”
“Let the Lord be with you,” another note said. “If you are having a bad time, don’t worry, everything will turn out fine.”
“We just want to help any way we can,” Anderson said.