The People’s Laundry Volunteer Form
Thank you for considering volunteering with The People’s Laundry MPLS!!! We appreciate the efforts of each and every one of you, and all members of our communities that are coming together to create systems of mutual-aid. We wanted to share our goals and a broad glimpse of what it is you will be doing as a volunteer before you decide to volunteer with us. If interested in volunteering, please read our goals and volunteer requirements and fill out the form below.
Our mission is to participate in mutual aid by providing laundry assistance and clothing to community members in and around the Twin Cities metro area. Our goals are:
- To care for and support our communities by providing a service to those who need it.
- To actively take steps towards a society free of capitalism and police.
- To bring people together to connect and share resources as needs arise.
- To amplify the voices of BIPOC and other marginalized groups in our communities through our online platforms and in the way we conduct ourselves in our actions.
- To build a group of volunteers that have time/resources for some extra laundry and can commit to being an independent volunteer.
What we require of our volunteers:
- Treat everyone with respect. This includes respecting where people are living, and not engaging in trauma tourism while visiting encampments. We ask that our volunteers do not engage in white saviorism while serving our communities. We are engaging in mutual aid, not charity—doing this service with communities, not for our communities. Listen to people, understand that they know what’s best for them, and what they need to feel safe and cared for. It may not be our help. But we are here, if it helps.
- Be mindful of the situation. Clients could be houseless and anxious to give their clothes to a stranger. Their clothes may be their only belongings. They may be short on clothes or have other worries. Have grace and call to check-in if able or needed. You/we can try to figure out how to provide clothes or other needs.
-Make sure to do only what the client asks you to do with their laundry. Don’t assume someone would want it done (folding/using fabric softener/etc.)- just ask.
-Do not call the police. One of our goals is to take steps towards a police-free society. Policing in the United States is rooted in colonialism and slavery, and as such police are harmful to our communities. We ask that volunteers do not call the police while visiting encampments or on clients in other situations. We can address insecurities and fears of real danger -fighting capitalism is never safe- but the alternative is worse- by coming together, keeping each other safe, treating people with dignity and doing the work that needs to be done.
-Do laundry mindfully. Considering the goals of The People’s Laundry MPLS as a mutual aid, anti-racist organizing group, we have the responsibility of caring for other people’s belongings. So, doing laundry, doing it well, and doing as much as we can to get it back to the right place is core to our mission. An example of mindfully doing laundry may look like writing extra notes on bag tags to communicate needs about a bag of laundry you may be dropping off for another volunteer to launder.
By filling out this form, you are consenting to receive emails from us and agreeing to follow our volunteer requirements.