Community Laundry Co-op

Celebrating 25 Years of Clean Clothes

Chris — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 19:19:18 +0000

Hosted by the Community Laundry Co-op and Heartwood House

We would like to invite you to help us celebrate the accomplishments of the Community Laundry Co-op over its 25-year history. While we are all disappointed that the Co-op is closing, let’s take a moment together to be grateful for all the ways the Co-op has served the community and all the people who contributed to keeping its doors open for 25 years.

The story of the Co-op is a story about building community and supporting each other. This is an opportunity to celebrate that community. There will be some reflections and commentary on the Co-op’s history, followed by an opportunity to chat informally over a free lunch from Chef Ric’s.

Noon on Wednesday, April 24

The Sanctuary in Heartwood House, 404 McArthur Avenue

Everyone interested in attending the celebration is welcome. To ensure we have enough food, please RSVP to phil@communitylaundrycoop.ca.

The Co-op greatly appreciates the support of Heartwood House in organizing and funding this event.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Margaret Fallis
Chair of the Board of Directors

Alternative Services for Members of the Community Laundry Co-op

Chris — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:38:15 +0000

We have negotiated an agreement with Spins Laundromat and found some alternative services that can help community members access services after we close. Please reach out to Holly or Phil if you have any questions or concerns and we will do our best to support you. Our contact information is at the bottom of this notice.

Spins Laundromat
320 McArthur Avenue, Unit B
spinslaundry.ca
613-667-9209

What they are offering:

Discounts are only available between 7 AM and 1 PM.
Half price washing on their double load machines. Washing two loads together will cost $2 instead of $4. There is no discount for using the dryers.
No appointment necessary. Members must speak with Spins staff and show identification to obtain the discount.
One free coffee or tea per visit.
Spins encourages you to bring your own soap, but if you do not have any, Spins will provide it at no cost.

Please note that members need to be on the member list that the CLC will provide to Spins. We will only be providing Spins with the names of members. Please ensure you are registered on the master list. If you do not want your name provided to Spins, please let Phil or Holly know (contact information below).

The Well
275 Elgin Street
belongottawa.ca
613-594-5878

What they offer:

The Well is open Mon-Thurs from 8 AM-8 PM. They have one set of washing machines that you can book by calling the day before.

The Well has counsellors, shower access, meals (breakfast and lunch), community fridge access, community support navigation, Wi-Fi, as well as activities such as karaoke and BINGO.

Hours:
Monday: 8 AM-1 PM (Women Only during this time)
Monday: 3 PM-8 PM (open to everyone)
Tuesday: 8 AM-8 PM (open to everyone)
Wednesday: 8 AM-8 PM (open to everyone)
Thursday: 8 AM-8 PM (open to everyone)
CLOSED on Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Centre 454
454 King Edward Avenue
belongottawa.ca
613-232-4919

What they offer:

Centre 454 is open every day and provides many additional supports that are not listed on their website. To book their laundry machines, call the day before. They have one set of machines and book by the hour.

Centre 454 also has counsellors, housing supports, OW and ODSP worker supports, shower access, Wi-Fi, hygiene supplies, meals (breakfast and lunch), a community fridge as well as fun activities such as karaoke, art and BINGO.

Hours:
Monday: 8 AM-3 PM
Tuesday: 8 AM-3 PM
Wednesday: 8 AM-1 PM
Thursday: 8 AM-3 PM
Friday: 8 AM-3 PM
Saturday: 8 AM-3 PM
Sunday: 8 AM-3 PM

Community Laundry Co-op Contact Information:

phil@communitylaundrycoop.ca

holly@communitylaundrycoop.ca

613-244-4762

Notice of Closure of the Community Laundry Co-operative

Chris — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 22:02:27 +0000

Dear Members and Supporters of the Community Laundry Co-operative,

It is with great sadness that I inform you that after 24 years of providing clean clothes and a supportive community, the Community Laundry Co-op will be closing its doors for good on Friday, April 12, 2024.

We had great hopes that we would be able to continue to deliver our services by becoming part of Operation Come Home, but despite the best efforts of both organizations, it did not work out. We can no longer keep operating with the resources we have.

Our only consolation is that we have been able to keep serving members and clients for a year longer than we anticipated and that we have done everything in our power to keep the Co-op operational for longer than we thought possible.

Even though we are feeling sad, we must celebrate the Co-op and what it has achieved over the last 24 years – the good times we had together, the friendships we developed, the thousands of loads of wash we did and the things we achieved both as an organization and as individual members.

A heartfelt thank you to our staff, our members, volunteers, funders and supporters who made the Co-op the wonderful community that it has been.

If you have any questions, please contact our Executive Director, Phil Robinson, at 613-421-1254 or phil@communitylaundrycoop.ca.

Sincerely,

Margaret Fallis
Chair of the Board of Directors

Some Big News from the Community Laundry Co-op

Chris — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:41:35 +0000

At our AGM, members celebrate 24 years of providing access to self-serve laundry for people who otherwise couldn’t afford clean clothes.

After two years of growth, the Community Laundry Co-op (CLC) faced a dire situation one year ago. The departure of our Counsellor coincided with our Executive Director’s cancer diagnosis and urgent medical leave, leaving us with no experienced management staff. These unfortunate developments put a halt to our progress, but thanks to dedicated volunteers and staff, we managed to continue to provide essential laundry and social support services throughout the year.

Our situation made it very clear how vulnerable small charities are when faced with unanticipated circumstances. As a result, our members voted unanimously to pursue dissolution as a co-operative and to transition under the umbrella of a larger social service organization that could provide long-term stability. We are happy to report that we are in negotiations to do just that, but we’ve encountered regulatory hurdles and other challlenges that will extend the process well into 2024.

The situation in 2023 meant we had few resources to fundraise. Delays in our transition have resulted in increased costs, including expensive legal fees. We are doing everything in our power to continue to provide our services to everyone who needs them, and we are asking for your help. Please consider making a generous donation to help us make it to the finish line.

Our staff and volunteers continue to shine in their dedicated support of high-needs members of our community. I am excited to report that our Executive Director, Phil, is cancer-free following surgery and radiation treatment. We really appreciate all his efforts to keep the CLC operational while he was in recovery.

On behalf of all of us at the CLC, we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons and thank you for your support. Without your support over the years, the CLC would not exist.

Sincerely,

Marg Fallis
Chair of the Board

Giving Tuesday: Ximena’s Story

Chris — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 17:23:26 +0000

A year ago last week, Ximena and her two young children arrived in Canada as refugees. They were fleeing domestic violence, including threats against the children’s lives. They arrived with few possessions and little English.

Ximena struggled. She didn’t know where to turn until someone introduced her to the Community Laundry Co-op. That was when life began to improve: “The people at the Co-op have supported me in so many ways, from helping with the language, to the kids’ school, to being a friend. They have helped me with everything.”

The support provided to Ximena started with the basics: access to the food bank, help with English, winter clothing donations and emergency housing. Safe space and childcare were found so Ximena could participate in meetings with refugee lawyers. The CLC successfully advocated for Ximena’s children to be included in funding she received from Ontario Works. Eventually she moved with her children into an apartment, and the CLC arranged for furniture donations. Then she received support for registering her kids in school, free school supplies, and a bus pass so her eldest could travel to school.

None of this has been easy for Ximena and her family. But the CLC was there for her, as we are for all our members, helping them in all kinds of ways from building job skills, navigating social services and, of course, ensuring they have clean clothes.

Your donation on Giving Tuesday ensures we can continue to change lives like Ximena’s: “I’m so very grateful for what the Co-op has done for me because they have helped to make me a new person. Before, I didn’t trust anybody. Now I can trust people again.”

We are so grateful for your support of our members, including Ximena. We couldn’t do it without you. Please consider making a donation today so we can continue changing lives for another year.

Serving More Community in 2022

Chris — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 19:54:08 +0000

When Omicron struck a year ago, we knew 2022 would be another tough year for low-income families in Ottawa. But we stuck to our goal of increasing community outreach and engagement, and with the support of our donors, we succeeded.

Between January and October, we doubled the number of free counselling sessions provided to marginalized residents. The volume of low-cost, self-serve laundry increased by 75%. Fifty-six new families joined the CLC, many of whom are living in cramped, ‘temporary’ emergency shelters in Vanier and Rideau-Rockcliffe.

What does this mean? Stay tuned and you will find out next week. On Giving Tuesday, a refugee will share her story and the role the Co-op played when she arrived in Canada with her two young children.

The Co-op has the power to change lives, but we can’t do it alone. Serving more members increases costs. While we are working hard to raise funds and provide supportive employment through our social enterprise, Community Impact Laundry, the truth is that we will always need to fundraise to balance our budget, especially if we are continually adjusting & expanding to meet the needs of the communities we serve.

Please consider making an annual or monthly donation to the Co-op through the link below, and on Giving Tuesday we hope you read about how our donors have changed the lives of a single mother and her two young children. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy some pictures of life at the Co-op in 2022.

Donate

Celebrating high school fundraisers and their laundry-themed art show

Our first Bingo Night in over two years!

Members meet with MPP Lucille Collard to talk about poverty

Councillor King visiting the Art for Charity event

Welcoming new members

Celebrating Pride at the Co-op: Everyone is Welcome Here!

Donors like you enabled the purchase of new machines in 2022

In 2022 our social enterprise washed twice as much laundry

Job Posting: Counsellor & Operations Coordinator

Phil Robinson — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 15:40:12 +0000

Summary

The Counsellor & Operations Coordinator (COC) is responsible for day-to-day operations at the facility and provides support to members through counselling and referrals. The COC is a full-time salaried position that reports to the Executive Director. The salary range for this position is $37000-$40000.

Responsibilities

1.Program Co-ordination and Implementation

Maintains relationships and communications with local social service organizations
Promotes a safe working and learning environment
Assists with organizing CLC activities such as the AGM
Assists in maintaining public relations and marketing material
Maintains activity and usage tracking sheets
Maintains statistics on volunteer hours and CLC activities
Liaises between members, volunteers, staff and the Board of Directors, as required

2. Member Support

a) General Membership

Creates and promotes a mutually supportive environment
Provides guidance and assistance to members when required
Leads and assists members in organizing social activities
Resolves conflicts within the membership
Offers individual support to members in the form of listening, counselling, assistance with problem solving and appropriate referrals
Facilitates member participation in all programs at the CLC
Supports members in developing self-esteem, personal skills and with community navigation
Encourages members to take pride in and responsibility for CLC programs

b) Support and Supervision of Volunteers and Workers

Interviews, screens, delivers training, provides mentoring and supervision to volunteers in consultation with the Executive Director
Works with the Executive Director on the recruitment, selection, training, mentoring and supervision of workers

3. Other Related Duties

Supports the daily operation of Community Impact Laundry
Participates in the development of policies, procedures, plans and strategies for the CLC
Participates in networking activities in the community
Maintains up-to-date professional skills and knowledge through formal and informal training
Maintains awareness of and compliance with CLC policies and procedures
Acts as an “Ambassador” for the organization by building an awareness of programs and promoting services offered in the community
Attends board, staff and team meetings as required

Qualifications

a) Essential

Graduation from a college or university program in social services and a member, or eligible to become a member, of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
Minimum one year working in health or social services field
Excellent crisis intervention skills
Excellent listening, written and verbal communication skills in English
Ability to work with diversity [youth, parents with children, seniors, street cultured people, newcomers to Canada, members living with a disability, LGBTQ2S+ members, for example]
Flexibility, good judgement and initiative
Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
A good sense of judgement, creativity, and accountability
Proficient with Windows-based computers, in particular, email, MS Word and Excel
Valid up-to-date police records check

b) Desirable

First Aid Certificate and CPR Level C
Experience working with community-based social service agencies
Experience working with clients with diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds
Ability to work in French [written and spoken]
Proficiency in other languages such as Spanish, Arabic, and Farsi

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter and resume to the Executive Director at phil@communitylaundrycooop.ca. Applications are due by 5:00 PM on November 12, 2022.
We thank everyone who applies but will only be contacting candidates selected for an interview.

The CLC encourages applications from individuals who experience barriers to employment, including newcomers to Canada, women, Indigenous people, people of colour, people with disabilities, and members of LGBTQ2S+ communities.

For full details, download this posting as a PDF file.

About the Community Laundry Co-op

The Community Laundry Co-op (CLC) is a small grass roots charitable co-operative which has been changing lives through laundry for over 20 years. Low-income community members come to the CLC for low-cost laundry but arrive to find a friendly welcome and someone who can help them solve a problem or access the services they need. The testimony of people who credit the CLC with improving their lives is powerful.

CLC’s commercial laundry social enterprise, Community Impact Laundry, uses the same facility, giving CLC members a chance to gain employment experience while raising revenues that offset operating expenses for the CLC.

Free Printmaking Workshop

Vincent St Martin — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:09:21 +0000

Job Posting: Laundry Attendant

Vincent St Martin — Sat, 14 May 2022 13:48:23 +0000

Summary

The Community Laundry Co-operative (CLC) is looking for part-time staff to work in our wash & fold laundry service, Community Impact Laundry. As our social enterprise business grows, we will need staff who can work independently in the evening and on weekends. The CLC encourages applications from individuals who experience barriers to employment, including newcomers to Canada, women, Indigenous people, people of colour, people with disabilities, and members of LGBTQ2S+ communities.

About the CLC

The CLC has been changing lives through laundry for over 20 years. Located in Vanier/Rideau-Rockcliffe, the CLC provides low-cost access to self-serve laundry facilities for low-income residents including seniors, single parents, New Canadians, people experiencing homelessness, and people with developmental, physical or mental health challenges. While members come for clean clothes, an on-site counsellor can provide one-on-one support and referrals in a friendly, informal environment. After two years of the pandemic, rebuilding community and reducing isolation is an important objective for the CLC. The CLC also operates Community Impact Laundry, a social enterprise wash & fold service that provides income and work experience to people who face barriers to employment. The testimony of people who credit the CLC with enabling them to improve their lives is powerful.

Responsibilities

Laundry Attendants are responsible for:

• Ensuring clients’ linens are kept separate from other clients’ linens.

• Sorting laundry and stain removal.

• Operating commercial washing and drying machines.

• Folding, weighing, and packaging clean linens.

• Maintaining records of the linen processed.

• Reporting any problems or concerns promptly to management.

Qualifications

• Effective communication skills in English.

• Ability to work independently.

• Ability to perform repetitive physical tasks such as folding laundry in a fast paced

environment.

• Reliability and availability to work a flexible schedule.

Wage Rate

$15.00 per hour

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter and resume to Phil at phil@communitylaundrycoop.ca.
Questions can also be directed to Phil either by email or phone (613-421-1254).
Applications will be reviewed as they arrive.
We thank everyone who applies but will only be contacting those selected for an interview.

Download this posting as a PDF file.

Community Laundry Co-Operative: Changing Lives One Load at a Time published in the Neighbours of Rockcliffe

Phil Robinson — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 23:09:23 +0000

Imagine your child going to school without clean clothes. The reality is the cost of using a commercial laundromat can be prohibitive to some members of the community who live only blocks away from Rockcliffe Park. The Community Laundry Co-Operative is a non-profit and social enterprise based at Heartwood House on McArthur Avenue. It primarily serves the Vanier and Overbrook neighborhoods.

For a two-dollar annual membership fee, members can do laundry for only two dollars a load, including soap and supplies. But the co-op doesn’t stop there. It is staffed by an on-site social service worker who provides counselling, personalized support and referrals to a membership that includes many seniors, single parents, new Canadians, and people living with physical, developmental and mental health challenges.

In addition to helping alleviate the effects of poverty – more than 95% of members live below the poverty line – there are also health, emotional and social benefits that come with clean clothes. Holly Peterson, a single mother, explains what this means to her: “My kids may not have the same opportunities as other kids, but at least I know they aren’t getting bullied for wearing dirty clothes.”

The dignity that comes with being able to wash your clothes is echoed by another member who first came to the co-op after receiving a free laundry voucher from a local shelter. He credits the co-op with helping him find stable housing and providing a community that got him through some difficult times.

By combining access to laundry and support in a non-judgmental and friendly environment, a lot can happen during the wash and dry and fold cycles. Members can make new friends, participate in member led events, get support and volunteer. Before COVID-19, volunteers contributed more than 3,000 hours a year helping other members and maintaining the facilities.

The co-op is growing our Community Impact Laundry social enterprise that offers wash-and-fold fold laundry services to local businesses. Through it, we are increasing the job-training and employment opportunities offered to marginalized community members.

This month, the co-op is launching a three-month fundraising campaign. All funds raised go directly to supporting our vision of affordable laundry and social support for the most vulnerable in our community. Join us in enabling dignity for everyone who comes through our doors by visiting us at communitylaundrycoop.ca.

CLC Article_Neighbours of Rockcliffe.Nov.2021