LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced a $25,000 donation to The Laundry Truck LA (TLTLA) to provide free laundry services and necessities to the homeless population in Los Angeles, including at the city's 42 coronavirus relief centers. The grant will help fund the purchase and furnishing of a second trailer to support the community's rising demands for laundry services. Landi Renzo USA, a global leader in alternative fuel technology, will also donate a truck equipped with the company's Eco Ready™ compressed natural gas (CNG) system to support TLTLA's efforts. The converted CNG Ford F-250 pickup truck will help TLTLA expand their reach and lower the organization's current transportation costs by 30 percent. With the donations from SoCalGas and Landi Renzo, TLTLA is expecting to complete 15,600 loads of laundry in 2020.
"In this pandemic, it is more critical than ever that our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness gain access to basic needs, such as laundry services," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. "Without a vaccine, we all must maintain good hygiene and wash our clothes frequently. It is our best line of defense against this highly contagious virus. Our community partners are providing loads of help and hope by stepping up to ensure individuals who lack stable housing will get their clothes cleaned through the free services offered by The Laundry Truck LA."
"As an early supporter and funder of The LA Laundry Truck to provide critical hygiene services to unhoused Angelenos in my district, I applaud SoCalGas for their community support by investing in the expansion of The LA Laundry Truck with $25,000 funding towards a new trailer and a new CNG truck to haul the trailer," said Gil Cedillo, councilmember of Los Angeles Council District 1. "Together, we are united to provide mobile laundry service that meets the public health and personal welfare of unhoused Angelenos."
"This is an unprecedented time, and our homeless neighbors in Los Angeles County need our support more than ever," said Trisha Muse, director of community relations at SoCalGas. "Our partnership with Landi Renzo and The Laundry Truck LA not only allows us to serve our community but also the environment."
"This partnership is an amazing opportunity for us to be able to help and give back to our local community. We are pleased to partner with SoCalGas and The Laundry Truck to contribute in this unparalleled time of need," said Andrea Landi, president of Landi Renzo USA. "Our Ford F-250 truck with the Landi Renzo compressed natural gas system will help The Laundry Truck with their mobile services while lowering emissions, reducing their environmental impact, and decreasing their fuel costs."
The Laundry Truck LA is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free mobile laundry services for those in need throughout Los Angeles and is one of the first mobile laundry services in the country to serve the homeless population. Prior to this donation, TLTLA served the community through a trailer furnished with five sets of washers and dryers, a folding station, and a water heater. Through the help of donations and partnerships, TLTLA is now expanding their operations to further assist the additional six thousand beds the City of Los Angeles have committed to for the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We believe that essential personal care services, like clean laundry, can truly impact lives -- especially at a time like this," said Jodie Dolan, founder and owner of The Laundry Truck LA. "This generous donation from SoCalGas and Landi Renzo will allow us to provide these critical services to some of the most vulnerable Angelenos."
SoCalGas is dedicated to supporting the health, safety and wellness of our community. This donation is in addition to SoCalGas' $1 million donation towards nonprofit organizations throughout its service area to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. This money will be used to support the region's workforce, feed the hungry, and provide bill assistance to customers most affected by the coronavirus.
Additional information about SoCalGas's response to COVID-19 is available here.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas' vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
About The Laundry Truck LA
Founded in 2017, The Laundry Truck LA (TLTLA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a free mobile laundry service for unhoused residents and those in need in Los Angeles. TLTLA was one of the first mobile laundry services in the country to serve the homeless community, and one of a handful in the world. TLTLA is expanding its services through local city, county and community support – and provided an estimated 3,000-4,000 loads of laundry in 2019. Accessible personal care services, like clean laundry, truly impact lives, and can make the difference in securing employment or housing, or for kids, the difference in having a positive school experience. For additional information, please visit https://www.thelaundrytruckla.com/.
About Landi Renzo
Landi Renzo is the world leader in the manufacturing of alternative fuel systems and components for the automotive industry. The Company has its global headquarters in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in addition to subsidiaries in 10 different countries, including Landi Renzo USA, based in Torrance, CA. As the leader in eco-mobility with 66 years' experience and an established presence in more than 70 countries, Landi Renzo has provided alternative fuels systems to over 50 million vehicles globally, allowing a
CO2 reduction of 15 million tons. Within the United States, Landi Renzo USA is a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier for developing and integrating compressed natural gas vehicle systems in commercial fleets. In addition, Landi Renzo USA is the only Ford-approved compressed natural gas vehicle system supplier in the state of California. Learn more at www.LandiUSA.com.
SOURCE Southern California Gas Company
