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The Office of Papal Charities announced the opening of the Lavanderia di Papa Francesco, or “Pope Francis Laundry”, a free laundry service offered to the homeless and needy of Vatican City.
The laundromat is found in a building operated by the Roman Community of Sant’Egidio [suh nt eh-ji-dee-oh], which already provides the poor with several free services. The Whirlpool Corporation donated six brand new washers and dryers to the laundromat, while Procter & Gamble contributed by supplying free detergent and fabric softener.
The Office opened the laundromat as a way to live by Pope Francis’ principle of showing genuine acts of mercy to people in need. One of the daily problems that the homeless of the city encounter is having clean clothes and blankets and the laundromat addresses this problem. Before the establishment of the laundromat, the Office had already built other facilities, such as a dormitory, pharmacy, clinic, and barber shop for the underprivileged. In addition, the current head of the Office donates food to homeless shelters and hands out thermal sleeping bags during winter to people living on the streets.
Corporations have expressed their support for the Pope’s cause to help the poor. After opening within the vicinity of Vatican City, a McDonald’s branch began providing several meals a week to the poor in the area.
Pope Francis is continuing the legacy of previous popes in lending a hand to the poor. One of the earliest known charitable acts of a pope was in the 1600s, when Pope Urban VIII commissioned the famous Trevi Fountain to provide water to the city’s poor.