Spreading love through laundry: Rock Bridge's Baskets of Hope ministry helps those in need

Jan. 4—CHATSWORTH — When Gina and Michael Watters heard about Rock Bridge Community Church's Baskets of Hope ministry during service at the church's Chatsworth campus last summer, they knew that was where they needed to be.

"After all, we used to be right here in the same situations that these people might be in now," Gina Watters said as she handed fliers to individuals at the Coin Laundry laundromat in Chatsworth on Wednesday.

Baskets of Hope is part of a selection of community-based outreach programs, collectively named its Hope Ministry, that Rock Bridge offers to people in need in Northwest Georgia.

On the first Wednesday and third Saturday of every month, the five members that make up the Baskets of Hope laundry team — the Watterses, Jay McAllister, Krista Willey and ministry leader Christi Toth — meet at the laundromat at 500 S. Third Ave. in Chatsworth to pay for the laundry of any person who walks through the door during the morning.

"This means a lot to me because my husband (Michael) and I used to be homeless; we were washing our clothes in a bathtub in cold water and wringing them out by hand," Gina Watters said. "He's also blind from (a drug-related incident) 13 years ago and we're both in recovery from addiction. There were times where we didn't have a way to pay (for) or do our laundry, so it just spoke to us."

She said knowing what it feels like to "be where some of these people are means a lot."

"For us to give back and to witness to anybody that might be struggling with addiction, it's amazing because my husband and I have been through it. We knew out of all the things that we could be serving the church (in), this is where we wanted to be and these are the type of people that we want to spend time with and help serve."

During service days, team members give out laundry detergent and dryer sheets to those in need along with fliers detailing the church's other ministries, including monthly food drops that are on the third Saturday of each month at the Rock Bridge in Chatsworth from September to May.

"We don't ask questions and there's no process of whether someone qualifies or not," said Jessica Brown, Rock Bridge's Chatsworth campus administrator. "It's really just a give-back in our Hope Ministry that we do twice a month. Whoever wants to come during that two-hour span (typically 9 to 11 a.m.), we will pay for their laundry."

Gina Watters said the ministry has "been a great service" to be part of.

"We really just kind of advertise it in local Facebook groups," she said. "Sometimes we see familiar faces and sometimes we see new people. We're just here to aid them, pray with them and help with their needs."

Murray County resident Marty Ivey was shocked to learn his laundry would be paid for.

"It's good to know there are still people out there that are willing to help," he said. "It means a lot to people because times are hard right now. It would have cost me about $20 today just to do my own laundry. Just mine. I wasn't expecting anything like this. It's a godsend."

McAllister has been a part of the Baskets of Hope laundry team for six months. He said it "makes you feel good to know that you're helping people."

"My biggest thing is just spreading the love of Jesus," he said. "I've been through so much in my life that there's no other explanation for the way things turned out but God. Somebody was watching over me and I just want to spread that, serve and do whatever I can. If (Rock Bridge) needs people, I say 'Hey, sign me up.' It's for sure been a blessing."

Brown said while doing laundry might not seem as dire a situation as food insecurity in the area, the need for other resources is just as great.

"In partnering with education, we service Coker Elementary and Spring Place Elementary (Schools)," she said. "Through those partnerships we've learned that there are a lot of families that don't have access to washing machines and dryers or the money to use them. So, in order to try and meet that need, that's why we started offering our free laundry services two times a month."

She said one person brought 20 baskets of laundry "because she had not been able to afford to do laundry in two months."

"It's been highly successful and it is definitely rewarding to see something tangible and meet that need," Brown said. "Because sometimes it's more than just cleaning somebody's laundry; I think sometimes it's relieving that financial pressure. The chances are high that if there is a need in that capacity, there's probably other issues such as food insecurity that they might have. Then that opens the door to allowing us to help them with our other ministries."

"People come here and with groceries being so expensive right now, people are barely able to keep their cabinets stocked," Gina Watters said. "Because Rock Bridge has a food drop as well, we're able to help them out with other resources. It's really just amazing."

For Michael Watters, helping individuals with their needs is just as rewarding as receiving help with his.

"It's made a world of difference in my life," he said. "I've been involved with this church probably a year or two now and it really keeps me strong; it's like a family. Thirteen years ago, I went to prison for cooking meth; to be able to get out and do things with the community like this after all the things I've taken from this community, it's a real blessing. It's like God is giving me a chance to make it right."