Bragg Street Academy

Loads of Hope is a laundry program that provides resources so that students can have the opportunity to succeed.

Video Expressing the need for this resource in schools. 

What is the purpose of the program?
Loads of Hope program is committed to helping create educational equality with access to a laundry room with all the necessary items needed to clean and dry clothes. Bragg Street Academy staff are hoping that by allowing these resources to students and their families, we will help remove one small but important barrier to attendance with access to clean clothes. 

How does the program work?

At Bragg Street Academy, we have two staff members that act as our Program Leaders for this program. The Program Leader helps identify students and families to participate in the program. Confidentiality works with the individual or family. 

Students 

• All students are surveyed discreetly every year at Bragg Street Academy on their access to a washer and dryer within the home, access to laundry detergent and dryer sheets and students' personal hygiene materials. 
• Students that are identified with the need to participate in the Loads of Hope program will be spoken to discreetly by our Program leaders with hopes that they will be willing to participate.  
• Once identified and willing to participate in the program, students will be given a book bag and a mesh bag to place their dirty clothes in to bring back and forth from home to school as needed. 
• Students drop off this book like all other bags during check in. By doing so, this will not bring any additional attention to the students bringing in clothes to be cleaned. 
• Students will be called to the Load of Hope Laundry room to place their clothes in the washer and dryer throughout the school day. Depending on the comfort level of the student, the Program Leader may also offer to assist in the completion of the laundry throughout the day.
• Once laundry is completed, the student will place the clean clothes back into the book bag and placed within the check-in room. Like all other students, the student will pick up the bag at the end of the school day. 

Families 

• All students are surveyed discreetly every year at Bragg Street Academy on their access to a washer and dryer within the home, access to laundry detergent and dryer sheets and students' personal hygiene materials. 
• Families that are identified with the need to participate in the Loads of Hope program will be spoken to discreetly by our Program leaders with hopes that they will be willing to participate.  
• Once identified and willing to participate in the program, families will be given a Load of Hope laundry bag and mesh bag to place their dirty clothes in to bring back and forth from home to school as needed. 
• Parents/ guardians will sign up for a time to wash their clothes between the hours of 7:30-4:00 PM. At the request of the families, BSA will attempt to work outside of the typical hours of the program to support our families. The Program Leaders will be the direct contact for the parents/guardians. While their clothes are being cleaned, parents are encouraged to volunteer within their child's classroom. 

Additional Needs

• The Loads of Hope program will also provide basic hygiene products that have been donated, such as  socks, deodorant and feminine products. 
• The Loads of Hope program will also be used when students spill items on their clothes. This will allow us to wash the clothes immediately and return them to the student in a short period of time. This will allow the student to stay in school while the clothes are being cleaned. The student will have a choice of donated clothes for a short period of time while their clothes are being cleaned. 

How do you know that access to clean clothes is linked to better attendance rates?
1. 25% of public school teachers surveyed spend their own money on clothes for students and cleaning/laundering clothes for students.