Having clean clothes just got a lot easier for Brookdale Warming Center guests. It is all thanks to a local organization that saw a need and immediately acted.
Since the Brookdale Warming Center first opened its doors in January of 2021, people from all over our community came together to help, as the Center runs on donations. Members of the Epsilon Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. are part of that group. In December, they partnered with Alpha Kappa Alpha’s local chapter to donate more than 500 pillows. During that visit, they toured the Center and noticed something that stood out.
“We noticed they had household washers and dryers. We wanted all of the families, especially the kids to be able to have clean clothes,” said Ken Blair, Vice-President of the Epsilon Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc.
Before leaving the center, a few of the brothers spoke in the Center’s parking lot and came up with a solution. They would find a way to purchase a commercial washer and dryer for residents at the Brookdale Warming Center.
“Brothers went in their pockets and they decided to donate,” said Blair.
On Tuesday, April 13, the fraternity returned to the Center to deliver a new commercial washer and dryer. Faces of some of the residents lit up as they realized they would no longer have to wait hours to wash their clothes. Before Tuesday, residents relied on an older washer dryer combo.
“The most residents we have is 160, so you can imagine a tiny washer and dryer. It would take 3 hours to wash clothes. Just too long,” said Director of the Brookdale Warming Center, Steve Bell. “But these commercial units the Alphas provided us are really going to step up the game.
On top of donating the washer and dryer, the brothers of the Alpha Phi Alpha raised enough money to also make a monetary donation to the center.
“The aims of our fraternity are manly deeds, scholarship and love for all mankind,” said Blair. “And today we’re focusing on that love on all mankind.”
Since the Center opened in January, more than 400 people have been provided a safe play to stay and other needed services. Some people have been connected to jobs, moved into permanent housing, gotten their ID cards so they can access veterans’ services, received other types of counseling and support, and more.