Atlanta nonprofit partners with Georgia Tech students to create mobile laundry bus for the homeless

September 24th, 2024

Stone Mountain resident Nicky Crawford sets up operations for the Mobile Laundry Bus, a collaboration between Crawford's nonprofit organization Flowing with Blessings and Georgia Tech. (Courtesy of Georgia Tech)

This story was updated on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 1:23 p.m.

An Atlanta-based nonprofit organization and a group of Georgia Tech students are allowing Atlanta’s homeless population a better chance to have washed clothes and a refreshed feeling of pride.

Flowing with Blessings has assisted thousands of unhoused Atlanta citizens with showers and other resources since Stone Mountain resident Nicky Crawford established it in February 2022. The group offers 60 free showers and 60 loads of laundry daily on a first come first serve basis.

Crawford says that the organization’s newest innovation, a Mobile Laundry Bus, is “a crucial step in helping these individuals regain their dignity and begin the process of rebuilding their lives,” according to a press release from Georgia Tech.

Flowing with Blessings has long provided showers and new clothes for its clients, but noticed that they wanted to keep the unwashed clothes they had on when they arrived. So the nonprofit bought a school bus to convert into a mobile laundry service.

But Crawford needed help figuring out how to bring the project to life, so he reached out to Georgia Tech for assistance. Five industrial design students took on the project under the guidance of Professor Steve Chininis.

The team brainstormed concepts and developed 3D sketch models, aiming for a design that was “practical and user-centered,” according to the press release.

One of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to store large tanks of clean water since there was no guarantee of water at the locations where the bus stopped. So they designed a layout for the washers and dryers that would be effective regardless of where the bus stops.

“It was so exciting to be able to have our students work on this amazing project,” said Chininis. “It allowed students to make an immediate and direct impact in our community. They were instantly engaged because they were working with an amazing client who was helping real people.”