Brookdale Resource Center receives $25K donation for laundry services

Atlanta Gas Light Foundation funding will help residents experiencing homelessness wash their personal clothing on site.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Brookdale Resource Center is expanding its services for people experiencing homelessness after receiving a $25,000 donation from the Atlanta Gas Light Foundation.

The funding will help the center make its on-site washers and dryers available for residents to wash their personal clothing.

The center has had washers and dryers for several years, but they have primarily been used to clean bed linens and other items needed for daily operations.

Christopher Graham, Atlanta Gas Light’s Central Georgia Region Director of Regional Operations, said Brookdale has served more than 5,000 individuals over the years, including roughly 1,500 children.

Graham said those numbers represent real lives and families positively affected by the organization’s work.

Brookdale Executive Director Alison Bender said the donation will help cover equipment maintenance, laundry detergent and staffing needed to keep the facility running.

Bender said access to clean clothing promotes hygiene and can help residents feel better about themselves as they work toward stable housing.

Although the center already had the equipment, Bender said it needed additional funding to maintain the machines, purchase supplies and have someone available to manage the facility.

The Atlanta Gas Light Foundation said the donation will help support the health, dignity and well-being of the people served by the Brookdale Resource Center.