Washington Heights School Adds Laundry Room For Homeless Families

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — When she started as principal at P.S. 132 six months ago, Wendy Poveda quickly noticed that some of her staff were bringing more than just supplies to their elementary school classroom — they were bringing in clothes.

School aides were showing up to class with hand-me-downs from their kids or grandchildren. Some were taking student's uniforms home to wash them. Soon, Poveda started doing it, too.

"Looking at our numbers, one out of every four students is in a temporary housing situation," Poveda said. "I ask my kids, 'Well, why didn't you come to school yesterday?' and they say, 'My uniform was dirty.'

"We started wondering —'What can we do here?'"

What they did, eventually, was install a washer and dryer into a basement room at P.S. 132 with the help of Catholic Charities Alianza Youth Services, which are a partner of the school.

The make-shift laundry room, set up in what was once Catholic Charities office near the cafeteria, opened up this week to any staff, kids or parents who need it.

(Keep up with NYC events and news by subscribing to Washington Heights/Inwood’s Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The project cost Catholic Charities about $2,000, but for the families that will use it, it will be near priceless, said Eddie Sliverio, director of Catholic Charities Alianza Youth Services.

"You have families who tell their kids we can't wash our clothes [because] we're living at a time when the rent is the most important thing — they just want a roof over their child's head," Sliverio said. "We're doing this to provide dignity and respect to parents that need these opportunities."

Catholic Charities will use their case managers to find parents who may need the laundry room services, Sliverio said. The washer and dryer are just one of many services, like food pantries and gift cards, that the organization provides its families, he said.

Sliverio said he is already talking to principals at other Catholic Charities-affiliated schools who want to add their own laundry rooms.

He hopes to have washer and dryers in at least the eight schools the organization works with, and maybe, with the help of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's Office, any school that needs it in the borough.

But for now, staff at P.S. 132 are just happy to see what Poveda said was once a "dream," realized.

"Four months ago this wasn't even possible," Poveda said, explaining that the building had to be re-outfitted to install the appliances. "To see it happen today, and to see the support of our community, has been astounding."