Bayaud Enterprises today announced its second washer-and-dryer-equipped vehicle for The Laundry Truck service, a partnership with Radian design group and Denver Homeless Out Loud that aims to reach the city's homeless population.
Their pilot truck hit Denver's streets one year ago. Bayaud reports it's washed more than 12 tons of laundry since then, and now it's ready to double capacity.
In December, Director of the Bayaud Employment and Opportunity Center Scott Kerr told Denverite that his group was itching to expand the service once it completed the pilot. While the idea of serving more people was exciting, he said, a second truck was most important in establishing some stability for their operation.
"The laundry truck is where dreams meet physics," he said back then. "There's a lot of moving parts on that thing."
Two trucks on their force, Kerr said, means they'll be able to maintain service in case of technical failure. It also means they'll be able to increase their service from four visits a week to eight or ten.
"I'm looking forward to doing more laundry every day we go out," Kerr told Denverite today.
Back in December, Kerr said he hoped to launch Laundry Truck services across state lines. While Bayaud did help consult with a Los Angeles-based laundry project, they've not yet been able to expand to their national aspirations. The second truck, Kerr said, could help them gain momentum to find more long-term partners who might help them get there.
Laundry Truck 2.0 will officially launch at Bayaud's headquarters (333 W. Bayaud Ave.) at 11 a.m. May 17. Everyone's invited to the ribbon cutting, which will be celebrated with burgers and hot dogs.
