Loads of Hope: When Doing Laundry is Doing Good

Imagine actually looking forward to doing your laundry. We might take for granted how quickly and easily we're able to wash our clothing... but what happens when disaster strikes and you're left without water, power, or any clean clothes?

Last week, all of Twitter was aflutter with the relaunch of the Tide Loads of Hope campaign to raise money for disaster victims. Social Media mavens blogged, Twittered and Facebooked to encourage readers and followers to buy vintage Tide t-shirts (hipster alert!) to raise money for hurricane victims. In the process, they also raised awareness about this fabulous program.

Tide Loads of HopeTide Loads of Hope helps provide clean clothes and a sense of comfort to families that have been affected by disaster. Basic needs like clean clothes, food, water and shelter are critical during these times. Tide has partnered with Feeding America, and together they traveled to key communities in New Orleans and Southern California with the Tide® Clean Start truck™, their free mobile laundry facility that can do about 300 loads of laundry a day. Families could drop off their laundry to be washed, dried, and folded for free.

The program started in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The need for clean clothing became critical, and Tide found a way to help. So in November 2005, the Tide Loads of Hope truck headed to Camp Hope in the Metairie, Louisiana area to clean over 10,000 loads of laundry. The spirit of this first venture continues to inform and inspire everything Tide Loads of Hope program does. Go Tide!

So the next time you do laundry, instead of grumbling about it, think about what a luxury it is. Besides -- it's the folding that's really the pain-in-the-ass part, anyway.

By Stefania Pomponi Butler of Tonic.com