Excerpts From the Literary Magazine Written by the Homeless: Keeping Clothes Clean

Ricardo
January 23, 2017
A reprint from The Pilgrim.
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, home to The Pilgrim.

In a shelter it is not an easy task. There is not much space to have many clothes. The facilities in the shelter are not that clean and also some neighbors make it difficult. Yes, we have washing/drying machines which we can use. You have to ask for a number or wait in line. There are so many problems with the washing/drying machines. They break down and the shelter cannot afford to fix it or get new ones. For those who can afford the laundromat, they need to carry clothes long distances to accomplish it. Others wash their clothes in the sink or bathroom and let it hang dry. The shelter had some clothes for us once a month but now it closed down and they say it’s because of the budget. Now once a month we can have a voucher to go to the Goodwill store. Thank you for the kind people that give us clothes. Thank you God for having clean clothes to wear.

A version of this story originally appeared in the January/February 2017 issue of Pacific Standard as a sidebar to “Street Scribes.”

Ricardo Author

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