Nina Mykhailivna (name changed for security reasons) came to the stationary social laundry in Snihurivka for the first time with a large bag of clothes with the Ukrainian flag on it. The woman is 75 years old, but despite her age, she brought a lot of things to be washed. The pensioner can no longer do it on her own — her hands hurt badly, and the washing machine at home does not work.
“During the occupation, soldiers of the enemy army lived in my house. When they were retreating, they deliberately damaged and stole everything of any value: household appliances, furniture, clothes, tools… They left nothing behind. That’s why your laundry room replaced mine, which is no longer possible to repair. I have no money for a new washing machine, and with my arthritis, I can’t wash anything with my hands,” — Nina Mykhailivna says with tears in her eyes.
But Valentina Ivanovna (name changed for security reasons), another resident of Snihurivka, does not have a washing machine at all. She washes all her clothes by hand. The woman is 63 years old, but in addition to herself, she also takes care of her younger brother. She admits that if it wasn’t for the social laundry, she wouldn’t know what to do.
“I receive a pension. We don’t have enough money to buy a washing machine. It is very expensive. You can’t do it by hand. The social laundry helps me a lot, I bring my clothes and my brother’s, he is 56 years old and very ill. So thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am very pleased that at least someone paid attention to this, because there are many people like me,” — Valentina says with gratitude.
The stationary social laundry in Snihurivka, Mykolaiv region, is part of the project “Comprehensive assistance to internally displaced persons, non-displaced persons affected by the war, and those who have returned to Ukraine through the provision of protection, psychosocial and financial assistance, housing and WASH services.” The laundry has been operating for just over two months and is in incredible demand among vulnerable populations.
According to Lyudmyla Zhmurko, the administrative assistant of the stationary laundry, up to fifty people use the laundry services every day.
“When we first opened, there was a lot of people coming in, but not as many as now. People brought their clothes, we registered them, washed them, dried them, and gave them back in 2-3 hours. Now you have to sign up for a queue to have your clothes washed. There are a lot of people. People come not only from Snihurivka, but also from the neighboring villages,” — says Liudmyla.
The laundry has two washing machines and a dryer. There are all the necessary household chemicals, and all the processes are accompanied by two employees — laundry assistants. Given the great need to support the population affected by the consequences of the war in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, the stationary laundry is planned to be expanded and additional washing machines are to be purchased. The services are provided free of charge 6 days a week. One person can wash up to 10 kilograms of laundry at a time.
In addition, the social laundry has a mobile component. That is, an assistant picks up laundry from households in remote settlements or from people with limited mobility, delivers it to the laundry, where it is washed and dried, and returns it clean.
You can contact the stationary laundry at 138 Tsentralna St., Snihurivka, or by phone: +38 (075) 145 42 63
The laundry is open from Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00. The break is from 13:00 to 14:00.
The Comprehensive Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons, Non-Displaced Persons Affected by War, and Those Who Returned to Ukraine through the Provision of Protection, Psychosocial and Cash Assistance, Housing, and WASH Services project is implemented by the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and the German humanitarian organization Sign of Hope, with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).