National Clothesline

It was a new idea and may not have caught on like Robert Meaney hopes, but he plans to keep trying.

Always favorable to doing things that could help his community, Meaney this summer began inviting local residents to drop off non-perishable food items along with their drycleaning when they visit his drycleaning plant, The Cleaner Spot in Hanover, MA.

In return, Meaney, in addition to taking the donated item to the local food pantry, would keep track of customer’s incoming orders and donate $5 to the food pantry for every $50 spent on drycleaning.

“Summertime is crucial for our food banks. Kids are home from school, active and hungry,” Meaney said. “We often forget this fact because we are so busy.”

As summer was winding down, Meaney said the program had gone “slower than I would like” even though his overall business was up from a year ago.

“People are probably not thinking about bringing in food when they go the drycleaner,” Meany reasoned. Hoping that the idea will catch on, he said he plans to extend the offer until fall, then ramp up and try again next summer.

Meaney and his wife, Bonnie, have owned The Cleaner Spot three years. Outside of the drycleaning business, he is a Deacon at Old South Union Church in Weymouth. The Meaneys are also members of a mission group that travels to the barrio of Guasmo Sur in Ecuador regularly to build homes and sanitation for the local people of this country.




						Cleaner tries to bring home the groceries for a local food bank








							It was a new idea and may not have caught on like Robert Meaney hopes, but he plans to keep trying. Always favorable to doing things that could help his community, Meaney this summer began inviting local residents to drop off non-perishable food items along with their drycleaning when they visit his drycleaning plant, The Cleaner Spot in Hanover, MA. In return, Meaney, in addition to taking the donated item to the local food pantry, would keep track of customer’s incoming orders and donate $5 to the food pantry for every $50 spent on drycleaning. “Summertime is crucial for our food banks. Kids are home from school, active and hungry,” Meaney said. “We often forget this fact because we are so busy.” As summer was winding down, Meaney said the program had gone “slower than I would like” even though his overall business was up from a year ago. “People are probably not thinking about bringing in food when they go the drycleaner,” Meany reasoned. Hoping that the idea will catch on, he said he plans to extend the offer until fall, then ramp up and try again next summer. Meaney and his wife, Bonnie, have owned The Cleaner Spot three years. Outside of the drycleaning business, he is a Deacon at Old South Union Church in Weymouth. The Meaneys are also members of a mission group that travels to the barrio of Guasmo Sur in Ecuador regularly to build homes and sanitation for the local people of this country.