On the road with the Loads of Hope truck

Have you ever wondered what it’s like on the Loads of Hope truck, washing clothes for families in the wake of disasters? Find out with this exclusive interview of Casey, a real-life Loads of Hope team member who travelled to New Orleans, California, and many other places to help clean clothes and renew a sense of hope.

Question: Casey, what disaster relief efforts were you a part of?

Casey: I’ve been to many places with the Loads of Hope truck: New Orleans for the first year anniversary; Ramona, CA, for the wild fires; New Orleans for a second time; Waterloo, IA, for the foods; New Orleans for a third time; Galveston for Hurricane Ike; Baton Rouge for Hurricane Gustav… and more. It’s a long list! Combined, I've been with the truck for about 130 days between the eight disasters.

Question: What was it like heading into town? What do you remember seeing?

Casey: It’s tough. For the floods, everything’s under water. For the fires, everything’s charred beyond recognition. You’d see trash everywhere. Cars flipped over and in places they shouldn't be, like on beaches and front lawns.

Question: What was the truck like? What sort of jobs do people have?

Casey: The truck is incredible. It’s a well-oiled machine, from the banners to the washers to the amazing people working it. We take turns doing all sorts of jobs: checking customers in and out, loading washers, changing dryers, folding laundry, and then wrapping them up.

Question: Wow, you must’ve gotten pretty good at doing laundry!

Casey: The best ever at washing, drying, and folding. Most would say I am an expert!

Question: What type of Tide do you use on the truck?

Casey: We typically use 2X Ultra Tide HE (high-efficiency, for front-load washers) . Sometimes we also use Tide with Febreze Freshness or Tide with a Touch of Downy.

Question: Where do volunteers sleep at night?

Casey: We sleep in hotels when they’re available, but in areas where there’s no hotel near the set-up location, we rent RVs and sleep next to the set-up. Nice and cozy!

Question: How would you describe the people who come to get their laundry done?

Casey: They’re ECSTATIC, relieved, happy—I’ve heard them say it feels like a new start. There are sometimes tears of gratitude. And sometimes families will come back with homemade cookies for the volunteers. It’s amazing, these people have been through so much: they’ve lost their homes, and some are living out of their cars. Everyone wants to share their story. It’s a moving experience.

Question: What do you wish you could say to them now, today?

Casey: We truly hope that Tide helped in their greatest time of need and wish them the best in recovering from the disasters of the past.

Question: Any plans to help out again?

Casey: Loads of Hope monitors natural disasters and assesses the need for clean clothes in the areas affected.  If the need is there and we deploy the truck then I look forward to being a part of it.