Lakeland church volunteers help local families by paying for loads of laundry

LAKELAND, Fla. - Volunteers from the First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland have been helping local families fight rising costs for laundry. 

Families at the Laundry Spot in Lakeland got a break Friday as they got to do their laundry for free. It's an especially big deal for single mothers like Marybeth Santana, who has four kids. 

"One of the ladies came up to me and said, ‘hey, we’re going to pay for your laundry,’" Santana told FOX 13. "I was like ‘Oh, my god! What!’"

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Volunteers from the local church group "Laundry Love" do this once a month. They arm themselves with loads of quarters, so they can go to a local laundromat to pay for everyone's bill. 

"Most people are very surprised and appreciative," said Dan Lacy, a volunteer with First Presbyterian Church.

Dan and Nancy Lacy called "Laundry Love" a mission that they've been doing for the last three years. Nancy said it's their way of helping others. 

Members of the Lakeland church donate the cash, but volunteers said it's not unusual for people passing by to make a donation once they figure out what they're doing.

When the "Laundry Love" group goes out next month, along with paying for people's laundry loads, they will hand out groceries for Christmas dinner too.