It’s The Simple Things That Often Make The Biggest Difference

Heather Fogle (far left) and Rev. Melissa Sternhagen (far right) with volunteers for Thursday’s ‘Suds of Love’.

January 27th, 2022

Oskaloosa, Iowa – For most of us, it’s that dreaded laundry day. Many are fortunate to have a washer and dryer in their home, while others utilize local laundries.

For many people struggling to make the budget work, doing laundry can be a costly addition to a budget.

Heather Fogle, with St. Paul Congregational United Church of Christ, was the idea person behind making the free laundry event happen.

The event was held at the laundromat located in the former Wigg’s building, today known as Stop-N-Go.

With the help of several friends, Fogle was excited to see a program that she had witnessed in a nearby community coming to life in her hometown.

Besides the St. Paul Congregational UCC Church, the Friends Church in town also helped with funds and other support to make the event possible.

“At the beginning, we’re hoping to do this once a quarter,” said Fogle. “Ultimately, my goal is to get more churches, more people in the community involved, and we do it every two weeks.”

Cab rides were also made available for those who couldn’t make it to the free laundry event in that nearby community.

Melissa Sternhagen is the pastor at St. Paul Congregational, and she said that Fogle brought the idea to her, and she took it before the council to see what resources could be offered. “It just snowballed from there, and we decided to adopt it as an all-church mission because it fits right in with our church mission.

The group is looking forward to their next opportunity, and you can find more on the St. Paul Congregation UCC Facebook Page HERE.