A Growing Movement To Spread Faith, Love — And Clean Laundry
This is a good idea and a lot of transient surfers use it, too. In fact, I used this facility myself when in Huntington Beach for a surf trip. [I paid, though, as I'm not indigent.] However, the NPR story makes it seem that the laundry is a replacement for church, rather than its extension, which rather misses the point.
Also, this Episcopal Church ministry has been around for at least 17 years, so it's hardly new.