“The Cop Cleaning A Community”

It’s not every day that someone dedicates themselves twice to serving their community, but that’s what Wade Milyard did when he left his job as a cop to clean clothes for the homeless. And he’s doing it in one of the most unique ways — in a retrofitted city bus turned mobile laundromat.

Built to give people a “fresh step” toward stability, the idea started with a single conversation.

Last year, while responding to a police call at a campsite in Frederick, Maryland, Wade met a homeless woman living there and asked how she did her laundry. Her answer stopped him. “In the creek,” she answered.

"That image stuck with me," he said.

Soon, he began hearing similar stories — people washing clothes in rivers, skipping job interviews, or withdrawing from public life because they were ashamed of how they looked.

“That’s when I knew what I was supposed to do,” Wade said.

After 19 years as a police officer and four in the Coast Guard, Wade retired earlier this year to begin his second act of service: one rooted not in enforcement, but in empathy.

He named it Fresh Step Laundry.

With his family's support (and extra sets of hands), Wade rolled up his sleeves and turned a decommissioned city bus donated by the Frederick PD into a laundromat on wheels. They stripped it, plumbed it, wired it, and outfitted it with three washers, three dryers, a 250-gallon water tank, and a folding table.

"My father-in-law built the generator rack; my parents bought a dryer set," Wade said. "My wife was on board from day one. It's a family project through and through." Even his kids pitch in whenever they can.

Now, each week, Wade parks the bus alongside a local ministry offering shower services so people can wash up, get clean clothes, and share a moment of connection… all for free. Together, they create something simple but sacred — a place where people can find dignity, feel seen, and know they matter.

"When I hand people their laundry and it's folded, sometimes they cry," he told me. "Sometimes I pray with them. It's humbling."

Wade named it Fresh Step for a reason, hoping that by extending a small act of kindness, he could put people on a path toward changing their lives. And that’s precisely what’s happened in just one year of operation, with those he’s helped telling him that clean clothes motivated them to get their life together.

“One woman came back and said, ‘Having my clothes washed made me clean up my space and get organized.’ That’s exactly what this is about.”

Next, Wade wants to shift gears to the unhoused students in Frederick County.

"There are kids here who are couch-surfing or sleeping in sheds," he said. "When they come to school, that's their only stability. If they're ashamed of how they look or smell, they can't learn. “I want to build a second bus just for them — so they can walk into school clean and confident.”

Here’s my takeaway: It's never just about washing clothes. It's about restoring dignity. Because sometimes, doing good is just about showing up in one practical, meaningful way... and watching that impact seep in deep.

A heartfelt thank-you to Wade Milyard for sharing his story and his mission with us. To learn more about Fresh Step Laundry, visit freshsteplaundry.com.

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