It was a regular morning recently at James Madison Elementary School, a community school nestled in the quiet pocket of Pasadena’s Olive Heights neighborhood.
But tucked behind the school’s auditorium area is a campus superpower that could go unnoticed by those outside: a small, but mighty, laundry truck.
Connected to a generator and singular hose, this truck is part of The Laundry Truck LA, a mobile laundry service dedicated to serving the unhoused community and those in need.
This effort has since expanded to fire-affected communities and local schools, where the partnership with Madison Elementary began in early August of 2025.
The laundry services serve students and their families. Leaders and families said the service is already building trust and self-esteem, while saving people money in an era when loads of laundry can get pricey for families living on the margins.
“We had one mom who came up to me recently, a single mom of three, who was struggling, and she said that she’s proud,” said Elisa Perez, the principal at Madison Elementary and a leading force behind this partnership. “She’s proud that she can bring her clothes over and happy that she has a little bit of extra money.”
Every Tuesday, the laundry truck is parked at Madison Elementary, with free laundry services from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., giving parents the opportunity to drop their laundry off with their kids and pick it up at the end of the day.
The school is the first in their district, the Pasadena Unified School District, to have a partnership like this.
“I’ve seen more people walking in with their bags on Tuesday,” said Perez, who also noticed more fathers, not just exclusively mothers, coming in with their laundry since this began. “It makes me happy that they are getting the help.”
TLTLA had reached out to Madison Elementary after centering their efforts to support fire-affected communities, and according to Perez, the process started within a few weeks.
“After the fires, folks needed access to laundry services,” Perez said. “And with the economy being the way that it is, things are just really expensive.
“Before we knew it, the laundry truck was coming once a week and was helping many of our families,” she added. “I’m proud to say that it’s part of our school.”
Maria Perez, the community and family assistant at Madison, emphasized the difference in the children’s appearance when they come to school since this partnership.
“The kids used to be dirty sometimes,” Maria Perez said. “And now they are clean every day, so they know they can come and use the laundry every Tuesday.”
“When it’s $13 for a load of laundry, that gets expensive,” echoed Elisa Perez. “And sometimes the jackets might get pushed to the side, but here at Madison, the laundry truck washes jackets, sheets, stuffies, even underwear.”
A special element of this initiative is the absence of shame and embarrassment.
“This is not something to be embarrassed about,” she said. “This is something that’s good for the school, good for the community, and it’s a service of love – because children have the right to access clean clothing.”
Perez spoke about a memorable interaction she had with a single mother who was displaced by the wildfires, and was living in a hotel at the time.
“Coming here and washing her clothes, that really helped her,” she said. “Children are our most vulnerable population in society, and the fact that moms can come to school and make sure that their kids’ clothing is clean, without shame, it’s beautiful.”
Perez emphasized that while they are a school that prides themselves on their curriculum and community, they also want to ensure that families feel a sense of second home – a place where their children can be taken care of.
“It matters a lot and it helps us economically, saves us a lot of time,” said Enedina Sadano, a parent at Madison Elementary School who uses the laundry services every week.
Sadano was one of the first parents to participate in this program.
“Me, as a mom of five kids, I don’t have to be rushing throughout the day or spending time at the laundromat,” she said. “So I’m grateful that I can come and drop it off and get it folded, dried and pick it up, it saves me a lot of money.”
Enedina shared that not only is the truck financially beneficial, but it builds and ensures trust within the community as well.
Last week, Enedina dropped off her laundry as usual. When she picked up her laundry, she saw that there was money left in the pockets, untouched and tucked away safely.
“I was surprised, and that’s a bond,” she said, emphasizing her trust in the truck’s employee, Elijah. “He’s so honest and responsible, to return the belongings that don’t belong to him.”
This kindness is what encouraged Sadano to let other parents know about the laundry services, some who still feel shame about bringing their dirty laundry to school.
“I mean, if you need the help, why not take it, you know?” she said.
Jodie Dolan founded The Laundry Truck LA in 2019, after Dolan was volunteering across Skid Row and other Los Angeles areas.
Dolan’s “lightbulb moment” sparked when she was helping a woman shower, only for her to put her dirty clothes back on.
“We started really with this idea about supporting the unhoused community,” she said. “There’s no laundry trailers, certainly no mobile laundry trailers going into the community and helping people when they need it in their most vulnerable times.”
The organization began partnerships with shelters, hotels, recreation centers and now the Los Angeles Unified School District – supporting local schools over the city.
TLTLA operates around 17 sites a week, and now partners with 10 schools across Los Angeles.
After last year’s wildfires, Anthem Blue Cross reached out to TLTLA with funds to support those impacted.
Those resources, after working with fire related communities, fueled the organization’s outreach to local schools.
Come early August, the organization had not only acquired a new laundry truck, but a partnership with Madison Elementary.
“It’s really wonderful to be part of the community and to be allowed in and to be supporting the families in a way where we can talk to them,” she said. “I think just being able to witness that is really powerful.”
Elijah Ruiz is a TLTLA employee who works a full shift every Tuesday at Madison Elementary’s laundry trailer.
“It’s a lot less socializing than a lot of other jobs, but it’s also community work in a way,” said Ruiz as he folded clothes, the smell of fresh laundry wafting through the trailer. “I’m kind of used to working and doing stuff that helps people, and it’s nice.”
Ruiz starts his day early in the morning when the parents drop off their clothes. Stationed in the truck with five washers and dryers – he washes, dries, folds the laundry, notifying the parents once the process is finished.
“There’s no shame,” he said, encouraging people who might feel reluctant to participate in the free service. “We all got to get by, we all gotta live.”
