Nonprofit Spotlight: Current of Tampa Bay's Laundry Love Project

Current of Tampa Bay is a nonprofit organization that helps facilitate projects such as Laundry Love, where Current pays for laundry costs for members of the community who aren't able to afford to themselves. Volunteers pitch in on laundry days, which are held once or twice a month.

Patch recently talked to Current founder Jason Sowell about what the organization does and how people can get involved to help.

Patch: What is the purpose of the organization?

Sowell: Current of Tampa Bay, Inc. is a non-profit based in Tampa who's mission is to educate young adults on current social initiatives and mobilize  them to bring about change.

Patch: Who founded it and when?

Sowell: Current was founded in 2008. (I) saw the need for an organization that bridged educating people on social needs with organizing specific projects that brings real help to those needs. One example of these projects is the Laundry Love Project that assists low-income people with meeting a basic need – washing clothes and linens.

Patch: How are the neighborhoods chosen for where to do laundry? How can people find out about this if they want their laundry done for free?

Sowell: We choose neighborhoods based on the basic income of the community, whether there is a good functioning laundromat with a solid owner in the neighborhood, and if there are volunteers from a local church or community organization we can partner with. We look at the need for the type of project as pretty broad. If a person or family is using a laundromat to do laundry on a regular basis, then they can use the help regardless of the circumstance.
People can find information about locations and times on our website, www.laundrybycurrent.org.

Patch: How does the group raise money for the laundry?

Sowell: We look to local small businesses to sponsor projects, socially-conscious individuals to donate funds and supplies, as well as local churches. Our board of directors and volunteers spend a lot of time raising funds and talking about the Laundry Love Project.

Patch: Why is this organization important to communities such as Carrollwood and Northdale?

Sowell: Because there are people in the Carrollwood and Northdale area that need help, specifically with the simple need for clean laundry. Every individual needs to be shown love in some way and this is one of our ways of doing it. Carrollwood and Northdale can certainly benefit from that. And, there are people in the Carrollwood and Northdale area that want and need an outlet to help people. The Laundry Love project could just be the way they can do that.

Patch: How can people get involved if they want to donate or volunteer?

Sowell: People can donate and contact us to get involved through our website, www.laundrybycurrent.org. We are always in need of supplies, funds for projects and volunteers to give their time.

If you work for a nonprofit organization that you think should be profiled on Patch, email us at camille.spencer@patch.com, or call (813) 230-4967.