Doing laundry is a chore for most teenagers, but coupled with homelessness, having clean clothes is often a luxury for the students at Interagency Academies in Seattle.

First Chance Industries works to provide support, such as laundry services, to children who are at-risk, traumatized, marginalized, gang-involved, fostered, and either currently or formerly incarcerated attending one of the 12 Interagency Academies. So when First Chance Board Chair, Dee McQuesten, reached out looking for a contractor to install a washer and dryer that had been sitting in the school’s hallway for over a year because they had neither the expertise or funds to install them, Account Executive Matt Thibeau and the Hermanson team stepped in to help. “We have 112 students who are homeless with no way to wash their clothes,” said McQuesten, “these kids deserve so much help.”

It was Sam Chedester, Hermanson Sheet Metal Foreman, who took charge of assessing the project needs at the Columbia City site. Chedester coordinated with building maintenance to find the ideal installation location and worked with Valley Electric to complete installing the washer and dryer this week.The first loads of laundry have been run through the new appliances and students are enjoying a simple pleasure many of us take for granted---clean, dry clothes.