SMSC Supports Bridging's Mission By Washing Blankets, Donating Linens

Prior Lake, MN – Each Christmas generous donors give gently used blankets to the local charitable organization Bridging. For the past ten years, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Laundry Facility has quietly washed those blankets to prepare them for distribution to local families.

Each year, about 5,000 blankets are donated to Bridging through the Bring a Blanket drive held each year in conjunction with Subway Restaurants. Of those, hundreds are usually slightly soiled and in need of washing before they can be distributed. The soiled blankets are delivered to the SMSC Laundry Facility in February and March where staff wash, dry, and hand-fold them at no cost.

“It is part of our mission to provide quality, gently used furniture and household goods to those in need,” said David Jensen, operations and logistics manager at Bridging. “Our partnership with SMSC allows us to make this happen. By receiving SMSC’s donated laundering services, Bridging has been able to distribute thousands of clean blankets to families in need over the years.”

In addition to laundering the blankets, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and its Gaming Enterprise (Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and Little Six Casino) has worked with Bridging for years, providing thousands of items: linens such as bed spreads, curtains, blankets, comforters, mattress pads, sheets, and pillow cases; furniture such as tables, chairs, bed frames, couches, lamps, mattresses, and box springs; and other items like shower curtains, ironing boards, pillows, and dishware. Several times a year Bridging drops off large loads of linens which the SMSC Laundry also washes at no charge.

Bridging’s mission is to provide families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness and poverty with a gift of quality furniture and household goods to stabilize and improve lives while effectively using community resources. Through a network of more than 125 social service agencies, eligible clients are referred to Bridging to pick out needed furniture and household goods to transform their house into a home.

Bridging, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the greater Twin Cities, is the largest furniture bank in North America. Providing furniture and household goods to families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness and poverty, Bridging gives hope–and for many–a leap toward financial stability for the first time. With locations in Bloomington and Roseville, Bridging is driven by volunteers and donations of furniture and household goods from the community. Since 1987, Bridging has furnished more than 60,000 homes, and every year, reduces landfill space by nearly 10 million pounds. To learn more and get involved visit http://www.bridging.org.

The SMSC Laundry washes 3.6 million pounds of laundry each year for several SMSC enterprises, including Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, and more. Each year they also launder more than 575,000 uniforms for employees at the SMSC Gaming Enterprise. Employing 51 full-time employees, since opening in August of 2006, the Laundry has processed more than 19,950,000 pounds of linen and cleaned more than 3,400,00 garments.