LET - Queremos Lavar Entre Todos

We want to wash among all by creating a communal laundry where everyone can wash their clothes. By applying a Robin Hood model, we can use your money from washes to provide free washes to those in need

Hi everyone, we are LET and we want to wash among all.

Have you ever asked yourself how does it feel to be homeless? How many times, were you going to your workplace and you saw a person sleeping on the floor? How many times, on rainy days, you saw a person sleeping on the floor? We researched. We met with organizations. We talked with the involved community. And, we figured out that, washing their clothes is one more problem that they have to face.

Conversa com a comunidade envolvida

HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM?

We want to create a communal laundry, with a Robin Hood model, where every time you wash your clothes you are also providing free washes for those in need.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO CREATE INCENTIVES?

The Portuguese community is a solidarity one and wants to help those in need. However, we need to differentiate our service in order to be the chosen one by consumers in the market. Therefore, we pretend to offer complimentary services such as ironing clothes and some basic sewing jobs.

Homeless people, already in integration process, will be the ones responsible for performing these tasks. They will be rewarded with something symbolic that will help them in the day-to-day basis, such as food cards. By occupying their days, we will be fighting against loneliness that they feel after moving into a room. In the future, we want to have a weekend delivery service provided by volunteers, with morning pick ups and afternoon delivers.

SOCIAL IMPACT?

By integrating homeless people in the process, we will be creating a sense of responsibility and commitment. Also, clean clothes gives them the confidence to enter in the job market and have a higher success in the search for a job. With a small gesture we will be fighting against the lack of hygiene of their belongings.

Going even further, by entering in the job market, the unemployment rate may decrease. Also, by becoming total or almost independent, we may see a decrease in the money spent by Câmara Municipal de Lisboa with homeless people. In addition, since social organizations do not have the capacity to wash their belongings and just throw them away, LET would be an alternative to stop this waste of clothes.

TO FINISH

“The strongest people make time to help others, even if they are struggling with their own personal problems..” And, it is with this phrase that we leave you. For many of us, washing our clothes is something that is just a walking  distance from the couch, but for others it is another story. We have the opportunity to help them, why shouldn't we do it?

Join us in this movement!

Campanha de sensibilização - NovaSBE

About the author

The LET team is made up of students from the NOVA SBE. We love to seize opportunities, apply the knowledge acquired during these years and leave our mark on society. We have no doubt that, this project sensitized us from the beginning and, in the development of it, the will to change was growing exponentially. We are all from different cities but we have one facet in common, solidarity! We believe that united by this project, we will make Lisbon better and, perhaps, Portugal better.

Equipa

Conversa com a comunidade envolvida

Budget and due dates

Having our own laundry comes with a lot of costs:

- washing machine 8kg: 4000€

- drying machine 14kg: 7000€

Adding to this, we have water, electricity and detergents. Given the fact that we are a social project, we are negotiating discounts equal or higher to 50% with washing and drying machines and detergents. Regarding the space, we are looking for synergies or help from the City Hall 

To implement our project, we will start with a pilot test that will count on the vast network of self-service laundries in Lisbon - phase that will take place more or less during a year.

Each wash and dry have a cost, in average, of 6 euros per customer. With only 90 euros per month we can provide one free wash to 15 homeless people. These are such small values that allow us to have a great impact with so little. By multiplying these number and people helped, our impact increases by a lot.

Therefore, WITH YOUR 1000€ we will be able to launch the pilot test phase and provide immediatly free washes. In addition, we will appeal to solidarity from the self-service laundries in order to have reduced prices. With this, we can accelerate our project and have our own laundry.

Images