Joe Richardson spent years working around washing machines.

Now he uses them to help people who need them most.

After serving a 14-year prison sentence, Richardson returned home to Philadelphia in 2021 ready to rebuild his life. He had grown up working in his family’s laundromat business, so washing and drying clothes came naturally.

But he wanted to do something more meaningful.

While he was still incarcerated, Richardson came up with an idea: a mobile laundromat that could travel through the city and wash clothes for people experiencing homelessness.

Years later, he decided to make that idea real.

Today, Richardson spends several hours each week volunteering his time, towing a trailer outfitted with laundry machines behind his truck and setting up on city streets to help people clean their clothes.

On one recent day, he parked near Arch and Broad streets in downtown Philadelphia and began offering the service to anyone who needed it.

For people living outside or moving between shelters, access to laundry can be difficult or impossible. Something as simple as clean clothing can make a big difference.

“One guy earlier just said that just to have clean clothes is a blessing, it helps me feel better about myself,” Richardson told NBC10 Philadelphia.

Philadelphia officials estimate that about 5,000 people in the city are currently unhoused. There are roughly 60 shelters available, and city leaders have announced plans to add about 1,000 more beds as part of efforts to reduce the number of people sleeping outside.

For Richardson, the mobile laundromat is a way to give back while creating moments of dignity for people who often go overlooked.

A freshly washed shirt or pair of pants might seem small.

But for someone navigating life on the street, Richardson says, it can help restore confidence — and remind them that someone cares.