Police officers spend day helping families do laundry

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Going to the laundromat can be expensive.

With the start of school right around the corner there's plenty of laundry to do.

That’s why Tampa police teamed up with a local non-profit to cover everyone's laundry at the big wash in Sulfur Springs.

Jason Sowell is the president and CEO of Current Initiatives, the non-profit behind the Laundry Project. He started helping folks with the cost of laundry 10 years ago, and the event has grown every year since.

A lot of these families coming in, they're literally choosing between buying groceries and washing their clothes and food's always gonna win that battle,” Sowell said. “So a lot of times kids and families go to school without clean clothes, so it's a big struggle for them. For a lot of these families haven't washed clothes in months because of that."

This year, the Laundry Project helped 34 families wash 360 loads of laundry – which was about $600 in quarters.

“It gives us an opportunity to interact with the community and listen to their concerns and maybe instill a little hope,” TPD Lieutenant Gary Filippone said.