Meet our Founders

Yasini’s Story

Early Education Interventionist

2015-Present

As I reflect on my decade-long journey in social services, I can't help but think about how clean laundry is such a basic need that so many families struggle to fulfill.

While I was happy to connect families to places where they could access more clothing, it was disheartening to see the struggle they faced when it came to keeping them clean.

But as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and it wasn't long before We decided to take matters into our own hands. With the help of some like-minded individuals, We started a laundry service specifically aimed at families who had a hard time keeping their clothes clean.

The idea is simple yet effective. We provide families with laundry supplies and access to washing machines and dryers, all free of charge.

Seeing the joy and relief on the faces of families who will use our services will be truly a rewarding experience. It is not just about the clean clothes - it is about knowing that they had one less thing to worry about and could focus on other pressing matters. In time, our little laundry service will grow into something much bigger, with more and more families coming to us to get help.


Josh’s Story

Public-School Educator

Band-Director 2009-Present

Band-Director-Durham Public Schools: 2018-Present

I have had a fulfilling 14-year career as a band director in Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Durham, North Carolina. 

I have had the pleasure of fostering wonderful moments of educational growth, creative expression, and musical literacy among my students.  I have also witnessed the impact of socioeconomic risk factors that my students endure. 

All fourteen years of my teaching experience have been in Title-I, low-income communities. In my time serving these communities,   laundry insecurity has been among the most consistent forms of stress that students endure. 

In Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Durham North Carolina, I have found that stress, socio-emotional turmoil, and health risk factors that laundry insecurity presents often inhibit student learning in the classroom. When children are unable to attain consistent laundry security, they have no choice but to de-prioritize educational growth on their list of critical life needs.  When students and their families cannot consistently wash their clothes due to financial strains, it makes sense that educational success is often a struggle.

In creating the concept of Uplift, our core mission is to provide low-income families with the opportunity to eliminate the financial burden of maintaining laundry security.  By doing this, they will have a greater chance of achieving success in education, social-emotional wellness, and lifelong success.