Free Laundry Service Launches at Pasadena School

A mobile laundry nonprofit that has served unhoused residents and fire survivors across Los Angeles County will launch its fourth trailer Tuesday at Madison Elementary School, which houses Pasadena Unified’s homeless education program.

The Laundry Truck LA will hold a ribbon cutting at 7:30 a.m. at the Pasadena campus, where families can drop off clothing during morning drop-off and pick it up washed, dried, and folded by the end of the school day. The fourth trailer was funded by Anthem Blue Cross Medi-Cal, according to event organizers.

Statistics indicate that Madison Elementary serves a high-need population: 90% of its 409 students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The campus also houses PUSD’s Families in Transition program, the district’s office that supports students experiencing homelessness. Nearly 300 homeless students were enrolled in PUSD during the 2024-25 school year, according to state data.

The launch comes 20 days after the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures in Altadena and surrounding communities. The Laundry Truck LA mobilized to serve fire survivors immediately after the January 2025 blaze and has continued providing services at multiple locations in the Pasadena area.

Jodie Dolan, who founded the nonprofit in 2017, said access to clean clothing is essential for children’s school attendance.

“We know that by keeping kids clean and feeling confident, they are more inclined to show up to school,” Dolan said in a 2024 interview with NBC Los Angeles. “Everybody deserves to be confident and comfortable. Hygiene, feeling good, feeling confident and lifting up our community, it’s an urgent need.”

The nonprofit began operations in 2019 with a single trailer and has since washed more than 612,600 pounds of laundry, according to its website. It now operates three trucks seven days a week, serving schools, shelters, and other locations across Los Angeles County. The fourth trailer will expand that capacity.

PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth J. Blanco and Madison Elementary Principal Dr. Elisa Perez will attend the ribbon cutting, along with Kristopher Kuntz, a program director at Anthem, and Madison Elementary families and students, according to event organizers.

“Laundry is a simple thing but is such an essential thing,” Dolan said in a 2025 interview with ABC7 after the fires. “When you have a whole community that has lost so much and is rebuilding, knowing that somebody has your back is a really important thing.”

The Laundry Truck LA will hold a ribbon cutting for its fourth mobile laundry trailer on Tuesday, January 27, at 7:30 a.m. The event runs until 8:30 a.m. and is free and open to the public. The ceremony takes place at Madison Elementary School, 515 East Ashtabula Street parking is available on neighboring streets. For more information, call 818-489-1732 or visit thelaundrytruckla.com.