National Clothesline

Once Hurricane Katrina touched down in the Gulf Coast, the Southwest Drycleaners Association wasted no time in trying to come up with ways to help its members.

“We really tried hard to respond immediately, to get our postings to our web site as Katrina hit land,” said Andy Stanley, the association’s executive director. “The thought was to try to at least get some preliminary information to those who had evacuated to assure them that more would follow.”

Stanley quickly developed a two-phase program designed to help Katrina victims in both the short and long terms.

“The immediate near-term effort was to initiate a drycleaners’ drive for the American Red Cross — cash was desperately needed — then, down the road, assess the needs of impacted drycleaners with plans for more direct assistance earmarked specifically for Louisiana and Mississippi cleaners,” he explained. “Great ideas are coming in daily, ranging from maintenance helpers, cleaning supply grants and loans, clothing drives, ‘buddy’ programs, etc.”

Early on, phase one of SDA’s initiative had collected about $1,800 in just a couple of days. For cleaners who want to contribute, Stanley recommends making a personal and/or private donation to the American Red Cross and collecting individual donations for the American Red Cross from customers at the front counter of drycleaning plants.

All checks should be made payable to “American Red Cross Hurricane 2005 Relief.”

So far, Stanley has been impressed with the industry’s response to the tragedy.

“The offers of help from all segments of the industry have been strong,” he pointed out. “Drycleaners really want to help each other — and that’s a great testament to our industry.”

Also aiding the cause is the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association, which has promised to match donations to the Salvation Army up to $2,000 to benefit Katrina’s victims.

PDCA Area 2 Director Bill Nicolais, Jr., of Spotless Cleaners in Dunmore, PA, suggested the idea.

“I feel strongly about this,” he said. “Everyone should help. It could be your family tomorrow that needs it.”

The association gave its members signs for their front counter, one for cleaners who wish to match customer donations and one for those who do not. Those who donate by check should make them payable to “Salvation Army Hurricane Katrina Relief.”

The campaign will run until Oct. 22, at which time PDCA cleaners can immediately mail a check for the total donation amount to the association’s office at P.O. Box 340, Willow Grove, PA 19090.

In addition to associations, individual cleaners have stepped up to do their part, as well.

Drycleaning consultant Richard Ehrenreich, who lives in the Metro D.C. area, offered free housing for a drycleaning plant owner or a business broker, but has run into difficulties finding any takers for his offer.

“I haven’t been able to get any leads from anybody,” he said. “I guess people are so devastated that there’s no communication. They’re just trying to keep their heads above water... literally — trying to figure out what to do with their family and how to get food on the table.”

Instead, Ehrenreich came up with other ways to help. First, he organized a drive for toiletry items for 400 elderly soldiers who were displaced from their retirement home in Gulfport, MS.

Additionally, he is offering free consulting advice to cleaners affected by Katrina who may be forced to sell or relocate their business.

“I help people figure out what are the best options for themselves,” he explained. “If their heads are spinning around and they need somebody to help ground them or help them focus on strategic options of where they’re at and what they should do, I’d be glad to take phone calls and help them anyway I could.”

Gulf Coast cleaners wanting to take him up on his offer can call his office, (301) 570-3000, ext. 10.

On the other end of the country, more cleaners are finding ways to show their support, including Steve Young of Portland’s Plaza Cleaners who pledged to give 5 percent of his gross September sales to Katrina relief via the American Red Cross.

“I don’t know anybody down there, but I just thought we needed to do something,” Young said. “I was going to make some kind of a donation because I don’t have any problems and they do. I just hope they all get back on their feet.”

Also in Oregon, Scott and Mickie McClure of Tip Top Cleaners felt compelled to ask for donations at their front counter. Originally, they wanted to help by trying another approach, but it did not work out so well.

“I did contact the local Salvation Army here to see about clothing and bedding and their response was, in one day, their warehouse was completely filled up,” Mickie McClure noted.

In fact, many people all over the country are running into similar problems, according to IFI Vice President of Membership Jon Meijer.

“We called several people on clothing drives and stuff. The big thing is, it’s not that they don’t want to accept clothes, but they are pretty restrictive on how things come and go and so forth,” he said. “Right now, we [IFI] recommend that everybody give to the Red Cross because what people need is money.”

Liberty-Pittsburgh Systems Inc. has done just that, making a $5,000 donation to the Red Cross. The company also is offering jobs to people who were displaced by the storm.

IFI has tried to come up with other ways to help, engaging in discussions with the National Cleaners Association on ideas for an industry-wide program.

“We’ve had some calls from members who need employees,” Meijer said. “One idea is to set up a job bank, and apparently there is some of that starting to happen now. What a lot of employers don’t recognize is that’s it’s not just jobs they need. They need everything… toothbrushes, food, housing. They have nothing.

“I read on another web site where some people are trying to collect used equipment for cleaners,” he continued. “The problem is, there is no mechanism for getting any of this stuff there right now.”

Until such problems of can be overcome, IFI suggests that cleaners give money to any association set up to help those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

On the web cleaners can go to www.drycleanersrelief.com and click on the link titled “Help Support the SDA ‘Help Our Cleaners’ Fund” to donate.

More information on fundraising efforts can also be obtained from the SDA office, (210) 826-4684 or the PDCA office, (215) 830-8495.