A Visit to the Pope Francis Laundrette

This article originally appeared on VICE Italy

Pope Francis – he's just like us! He sometimes has to pop out to buy a new pair of shoes or shop for new eyewear; he worries about climate change and isn't comfortable with the idea of Donald Trump being president of the United States. However, when it comes to his dedication to caring for the poor, it's clear this pope is much better than most of us mortals. His papacy has been focused on trying to relieve poverty since the very start. He chose the name Pope Francis after Francis of Assisi, who chose a life of poverty, and said that he wished for "a church that is poor and for the poor."

And when Pope Francis asks people to help out, they listen. Inspired by the pontiff's call for "true signs of mercy" in the Jubilee of Mercy, the Community of Sant'Egidio – a Catholic organisation that provides aid to the socially and economically disadvantaged – founded the "Pope Francis Laundrette". You'll find it just south of Vatican City, in the heart of Rome's Trastevere neighbourhood. Managed by a community of volunteers, the facility provides free laundry services for the homeless. I stopped by the day it opened to learn more about how a free laundrette is helping the community.

By the time I arrived the place was packed with journalists, but Carlo Santoro, a manager at the laundrette, had time to give me a tour. The facility contains 12 washing machines and dryers that were donated by local businesses. Carlo explained to me that there were always volunteers available to provide any assistance to the laundrette's customers.

"Rome is a tough city for the poor, so an initiative like this is a strong and necessary message," Carlo said. "This laundrette reminds us that not everyone's lives are like our own, and that some people struggle with things we'd never think of ourselves. Finding clean clothes to wear can be difficult for homeless people, but also, for example, simply finding a toilet. Bars often don't let them in."

The papacy itself has launched similar initiatives in the past. In 2015, The Vatican created a facility for free haircuts and showers for the homeless, as well as a medical centre. The initiatives were part of a wider effort to provide services that homeless people generally find difficult to access. Carlo told me that a laundrette named after the pope seemed like a natural next step. "Every one of us can help someone who is worse off than ourselves," he added.

After my tour, I spoke with another volunteer – a retired classics teacher who asked not to be named. She, like the others, was cheerful and helpful. I asked her what kind of work she does at the laundrette.

"I don't like the term 'work'," she said, "because it implies a quid pro quo." She went on to explain that you can't put a price on what she receives from helping people in need.

Aside from the journalists and the volunteers, there were three homeless customers in the laundrette during my visit. Rossella, who lives on the street with her partner, told me that the facility will be very important for her, as it ensures she can always turn up at job interviews in clean clothes.

Regardless of what you think of the Catholic church or organised religion in general, the Pope Francis Launderette is an undeniably great thing. Pope Francis might be just like us, but we could all be a bit more like him when it comes to inspiring or executing initiatives like this.