An elementary school principal in St. Louis, Missouri, noticed that some students were missing school because they did not have clean clothes to wear – so she decided something had to be done.
Dr. Melody Gunn found out that many of these kids came from low-income homes and when money was tight, the laundry wasn’t getting done.
So, Melody reached out to the Whirlpool appliance company and asked if they could donate a washer and dryer to her school.
The company didn’t just provide a washer and dryer for Melody’s school. Instead, washers and dryers were donated to 11 schools through a program called Care Counts – and the results have been overwhelming.
One year and over 2,300 loads of laundry later, 93% of students who participated in the program improved their attendance. And, because of their increased attendance, 89% of the kids in the program also got good grades.