Volunteers Have Loads of Hope with Tide & The American Red Cross

Nick Lastrina and Daryl O’Neal love to serve and have found their home with “Loads of Hope.” In a partnership between the American Red Cross, Tide and Duracell, these two men have found that by serving those devastated by natural disaster, they have gained much more than they have given.  For Lastrina, this is his fifth major event of the summer, and despite many long weeks away from his home in New Hampshire, helping people is his motivation.

Loads of Hope has one large truck, equipped with washers, dryers and unlimited supplies of Tide detergent.  Currently they are located in the Wal-Mart parking lot, alongside their partner company, Duracell, in Cobleskill, NY. There is a steady flow of citizens bringing all of the salvageable clothes they own in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, and they always leave with “huge smiles and grateful hearts,” according to Lastrina.

Lastrina states, “If they come to the Wal-Mart parking lot, we are simply trying to lighten their load and the American Red Cross partnership allows us to do that.

In addition to the great service that Loads of Hope provides the community, they also employ local citizens wherever they set up their truck. O’Neil commented, “this is just one more way that we are able to give back to the community and help boost the economy after disaster strikes.’

Tide, Duracell and the American Red Cross will continue to meet the needs of those devastated by Hurricane Irene until the job is done.