Karma for Cara Microgrants help fund exceptional service projects led by youth 18 and under working to better their communities. Read about our microgrant recipient, Caroline, a 15-year-old who started a program providing free laundry service to the homeless and working poor in her community. 

1.What inspired you to start Loads of Love?

My mom and I always made the laundry soap for the food pantry at church. It was the most popularly requested item. I used to wonder why people wanted soap more than food. Then it occurred to me that there were other places to get food but there was no other way to get clean laundry. Government programs do not allow for people to use vouchers to clean their laundry so this is a constant struggle for the working poor and homeless. This mission was initiated for my Girl Scout Gold Award project but it is continuing for as long as it is sustainable through donations and volunteers.

2.Why is your work important to you?

This work is particularly important because it is a service that is not offered anywhere else in my community. The longer we provide the service and the more people know about it, the more others want to start a similar program in their own communities. There are poor and homeless in every single community in the country. I speak to many groups encouraging them to begin a laundry ministry of their own.

3. How did the money from the micro grant help you with your project?

Without this micro grant, I would be scraping up quarters every month. As people learn about this mission, they are often generous, donating checks rather than spare quarters. However, having the check from Karma for Cara allowed me to purchase some of the baskets, soap, bleach etc. and turn some dollars into quarters to operate the machines.

4. What message of giving back do you have for others?

Sometimes when you are fortunate, you tend to take for granted something like clean laundry. For me, laundry is a chore, but when I serve others by just providing soap, bleach, baskets and quarters, it becomes a blessing for me as well as the person who is served. To whom much is given, much is required.