Cleanliness helps open doors to godliness
Published 1:30 am Saturday, August 6, 2016
EVERETT — The mobile laundry is about more than clean clothes. It’s about conversations.
Pastor D.J. Rabe, of The House church in Snohomish, explained the mission behind Washed, a green 16-foot Ford box truck outfitted with two pairs of washers and dryers that church members are driving around the region to do loads of laundry for the homeless. Rabe and his team from the nondenominational church want to meet physical and spiritual needs.
“We realized that we needed to build something that would service the homeless all the time, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Rabe said.
Rabe and his fellow volunteers had their roll-out in July. That followed six months of work to customize the truck with the help of an electrician and a plumber.
Already, they’re booked for regular stops in Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville, Monroe and Snohomish. They want to expand the schedule and eventually build more trucks.
The pastor talked about earning respect. People on the street may wonder, “‘What good is it to pray? I have a hundred people praying for me and my situation is still the same,’” Rabe said. Doing the laundry provides an opening.
“Our ultimate goal is to meet somebody at the point of just trying to survive one more day and leading them to the point of significance,” he said. “That initial action is just to get them to the point of sustainability, so we can teach them to lead others and to help others.”
On an 80-degree day last month, the pastor was making his third outing. The truck was parked in an alley in downtown Everett behind First Presbyterian Church, which was serving its regular community dinner.
Jason Felton dropped off a load of clothes. “You can’t even put a price on it,” the Everett man said.
Felton, 45, has worked in painting and construction. He’s been living in a tent by the Snohomish River for the past couple of years as he tries to get into an apartment.
The laundry truck complements the work of Frank Fargo, who has provided thousands of free showers to the homeless over the past several years. Fargo’s modified travel trailer was parked a few feet away from the Washed truck in the alley behind First Presbyterian.
Rabe, 45, brainstormed the mobile-laundry idea with his longtime friend, Eric Hogan, a Mukilteo businessman who attends The City Church in Kirkland. Hogan isn’t an ordained minister, but says he’s been preaching since he was a kid. He works in real-estate lending and development.
“We’re not here to push religion. We’re just here to listen,” Hogan said. “You can’t just walk up to somebody on the street and say, ‘How are you? What are you doing with your life?’ You have to have an environment that creates intimacy for that type of conversation to happen.”
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
Get involved
The Washed mobile laundry truck is looking for volunteers. Opportunities are available most days of the week in local cities. Call 425-501-3506 or email dj@washedmobile.org to get involved. There are monthly training opportunities.
To learn more, go to www.washedmobile.org.
