Houston County girl scout loading laundry for the less fortunate

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – One Houston County teen is making sure everyone in her community can go home with a clean load of clothes. 

What started as a girl scout project has turned into a passion for Caroline Gowan, and she hopes other organizations hop on board. 

She and her family and countless volunteers are helping the less fortunate get their clothes cleaned. 

“Me and my mom, we make the laundry soap every single time for our food pantry at our church. People always ask for more laundry soap. I thought about why they run out of laundry soap before they do food, and then it hit me, they don’t have a way to get clean laundry,” Caroline says. 

That’s where the idea along with help from a kind owner made “Loads of Love” happen. 

“I asked around to a lot of laundromats and thankfully Mr. Chuck said ‘I would love to’,” she says. 

“For them to come in and offer to do free laundry. I’m happy to do my part,” Chuck Mollenkompf, the owner of the Git-R-Dun Too Laundromat in Warner Robins says. 

And it’s working. 

“This is all I could talk about because, I mean, I don’t have a washer and dryer and at the moment I’m not financially fortunate to keep washing clothes. It’s really a good blessing for those less fortunate that don’t have it,” Shakika Sneed, a participant, says. 

There are 20 washers, 18 dryers and they’re all catering to countless loads of laundry and Caroline hopes to get even more. 

She’s using the project to get her Girl Scout Gold Award. 

The rising high school sophomore has been at it for ten years. 

Her parents hope the community joins in and signs up to help wash clothes. 

“Hopefully, other outreach organizations will see that the need is definitely here,” Caroline’s mom, Michelle, says. 

“… and maybe other laundromats come around town. So we can get more laundromats, more churches in on it, so more people can get clean laundry,” Caroline says. 

She’s raised more than $250 to wash clothes for the less fortunate. The “Loads of Love” event happens every second Friday of the month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Git-R-Dun Too Laundromat at 726 North Davis Drive. 

For more information on how you can participate or volunteer visit the Bonaire United Methodist Church’s website.