Free Laundromat At Newark School Will Empower Students

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The Blue Bear Laundry Room at Barringer High School in Newark isn’t just about clean clothes. It’s about empowerment.

Recently, the Newark Public School District and Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville teamed up to build a laundromat at Barringer High School. The facility – which is free for students – will be a big boost for young adults who are housing insecure and may not have access to a washing machine at home.

It’s much more than a clean pair of socks, organizers said. For students, it can also mean improved attendance, boosted confidence or an end to bullying.

“By partnering with the school to create the laundry facility, we are able to make a direct impact in the lives of students and their families,” said Sarah Bonilla, director of the Center of Excellence for Latino Health at Clara Maass Medical Center.

The hospital bought the equipment – two new, high quality commercial grade washing machines and two gas dryers – from Paul’s Appliances, a small family-owned business that has been located in Newark since 1932, Bonilla said.

The collaboration was formalized with a memorandum of understanding between the Newark Public School District, Clara Maass and RWJBarnabas Health, which runs the hospital.

Although Newark’s public schools are currently operating with all-online classes due to the coronavirus pandemic, an eager group of community leaders and school officials gathered at the new laundromat for a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 30.

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FREE SCHOOL LAUNDROMATS

The collaboration between Clara Maass and the Newark Public School District is the latest example of an inspiring trend growing in Essex County: free school laundromats.

One of the attendees at the Barringer High School laundromat grand opening was Akbar Cook, the principal of West Side High School in Newark, who was the driving force behind that school’s own free laundromat.

Cook’s efforts gained national support – including donations from Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres – and got a big nod of thanks on Twitter from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.

• See related article: Oprah Winfrey Visits Newark School, Makes $500K Donation (WATCH)
• See related article: Newark's Inspiring School Laundromat On 'Ellen Show' (VIDEO)

Last year, the Legacy Center launched at John L. Costley Middle School in East Orange. A free laundry room at the facility gives 1,100 students and their families a place to wash and dry their clothes, helping to address an essential need in the community.

The center — which also includes a "give and get" clothing exchange — has grown tremendously since opening, East Orange Mayor Ted Green said.

• See related article: Free School Laundromat Boosts Self-Esteem In East Orange

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