The beginning of autumn was truly remarkable for the social laundry in Snigurivka. In order to reach even more people in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions who need our help and provide them with free hygiene services, the public laundry has doubled its capacity. It now has four washing machines and two dryers.
According to Oksana Bakun, administrative assistant at the stationary laundry, about 70 people use the free laundry services in Snigurivka every day. However, after the installation of additional machines, the number of people willing to use the services is growing every day.
“We have been working in Snigurivka for almost six months, and every day we have both new visitors and familiar faces. Most of them either do not have washing machines at home or have old ones. Therefore, our laundry is a real lifesaver for them. People bring their clothes to us, we register them, wash and dry them, and return them in 2-3 hours. Everyone is very satisfied. However, recently the number of visitors has grown so much that we had to put them on a waiting list. With the increase in capacity, this problem has been solved. People no longer have to wait. In just one day, we serve about 120 people, sometimes even more,” says Oksana.
Ms. Olena is an internally displaced person from Kherson. She moved to Snigurivka with her son and husband immediately after the city was deoccupied. Ms. Olena now teaches Ukrainian at a local college and lives with her family in a very old house provided by caring people.
“There is no bathroom in this house at all. There was an old washing machine, but it had probably washed so much that it broke down immediately. There is no hot water, and there is no boiler in the house either. Therefore, doing laundry is a real challenge for me. If it weren’t for the social laundry, I don’t know what we would do. We go there often, and the staff there are so nice. They wash everything thoroughly, dry it, and if you need any advice, they will tell you everything and help you. I bring not only my own clothes, but also my mother-in-law’s. She is from the village of Afanasiivka in the Mykolaiv region. It is a very special place — the village is located on an island. In June 2023, after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was blown up, it was flooded, and so was her house. Now we are trying to help her as much as possible,” says Olena.
The woman says that in addition to the services of the social laundry, she also turned to the lawyers of our project for help when they came to Snigurivka for consultations. The lawyers provided her with free legal assistance and explanations regarding the damaged housing.
In almost six months of operation, nearly 5,000 people have used the services of the Social Laundry. These are residents not only of the city of Snigurivka, but also of neighboring settlements in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions that have suffered from the effects of the war. Often, residents of the villages of Yevhenivka, Kobzartsi, Vasylivka, and Afanasiivka come to wash their clothes. People pack large bags and set off on their journey. Those who can, travel by car, while others use two-wheeled transport. The laundry assistants try to serve them first, as they still have a long journey ahead of them.
Free laundry services are provided six days a week, from Monday to Saturday inclusive. One person can wash up to 10 kilograms of laundry at a time. All the necessary laundry supplies are provided on site. You don’t need to bring anything with you. Two employees, laundry assistants, supervise the washing and drying process.
You can visit the stationary laundry at the following address: Snigurivka, 138 Tsentralna Street, or call +38 (075) 145 42 63
Social laundry opening hours:
Monday-Saturday, from 09:00 to 18:00.
Break — from 13:00 to 14:00.
The stationary laundry in Snigurivka operates as part of a project implemented by the charitable organization Stabilization Support Services Charitable Foundation and the German humanitarian organization Sign of Hope with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).