Leading with Purpose at Fresh Start Laundromat

On a chilly evening at 24th and Binney Streets, light spills from the windows of the Fresh Start Laundromat, Heart Ministry Center’s first social enterprise. Inside, the hum of washers mixes with conversation and laughter as neighbors fold clothes and visit. There is a warm atmosphere in the space, reflected in Shamica Southern, who leads the laundromat with skill and heart.

Shamica works to keep operations running smoothly by tracking the laundry app, coordinating promotions, community raffles, and facilitating free drying times offered each week. Yet what stands out is the way she connects with people who walk through the door.

“We don’t just provide laundry,” Shamica says. “We provide A Way Forward. I know that the people who come in here go out and share that with others. We make ourselves accessible. These doors are always open.”

Shamica’s empathy runs deep because she once sought the open door of the Heart. Years ago, Shamica looked across 24th Street, feeling unsure of her place, struggling with the challenges of severe poverty. Outside the building, she encountered former CEO Mark Dahir. He offered kindness, a food pantry, and invited her to return and connect with a case manager.

At Heart Ministry Center, Shamica found encouragement, structure, and eventually confidence in her own leadership. Through completing Pathways, an earlier version of the Fresh Start Program, she discovered that she could shape her own future. “Everybody is embraced at HMC,” she recalls. “I believe that the staff goes above and beyond to make sure people’s needs are met. I worked hard and am the first one to make it out of poverty in my family, and the first one to own a home.”

Her achievements, like leading the laundromat team and purchasing her first home in November 2025, come from her persistence and belief in her potential. “All that I have been through shaped and molded me into the strong woman I am today,” she says. “And it is worth it if I can be a beacon of light for others. People shouldn’t put limits on themselves. It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters.”

At Fresh Start Laundromat, families enter with more than baskets of clothes. Through conversation, Shamica and her team connect community members with opportunities at the Heart, food for their families, medical care, legal assistance, and financial literacy resources. She sees these interactions as building community. Every conversation opens the door wider for someone else to take their next step forward.

Shamica is building commercial laundry accounts across Omaha and finding creative ways to expand the laundromat’s reach. “Our revenue is recycled back into our resources so that we can continue to help others,” she explains. “It’s about helping the next person that comes through our doors.”

As the night settles in around 24th and Binney, the laundromat’s light glows, a reflection of the woman inside who turned her challenges into strength. Shamica continues to build community within the laundromat, proving that her fresh start was only the beginning.