Conduit Ministries volunteers washed, dried and folded laundry for community members during the final day of the second annual I Am Loved Week at Papa Joes Laundromat in Jamestown on Saturday. P-J photos by Katrina Fuller

Conduit Ministries took a load off the minds of many over the weekend.

Volunteers stood ready with containers of quarters, laundry soap and smiles on Saturday to provide community members free laundry service to end the second annual I Am Loved week. The week is a series of events during one week in the summer provided by Conduit Ministries volunteers as they serve the community in a variety of ways.

The Conduit Food Truck was parked outside at Papa Joe’s Laundromat to hand out free snowcones, hot dogs, sodas and chips during the event.

The group washed and dried 100 loads of laundry for community members, according to the Rev. Corey Errett.

“The benefit is in the exchange, seeing the people and learning their names,” Errett said. “People have been so receptive and so excited. They’ve been super friendly and really surprised.”

He said many of the visitors to the laundromat didn’t know what to expect because it wasn’t a “bait and switch” situation where the church expected anything from the people they served. He said the volunteers simply wanted to help them and “get to know them.”

Errett said the week of volunteer events has been a whirlwind of activity and compassion. The week included a back-to-school clothing drive at the Jamestown YMCA; an event called “Triumphant” which gave survivors of domestic violence access to spa services, clothing, professional photography and more; a foster family picnic at Midway Park; two carnival-like fun days in partnership with the Chautauqua Center in Dunkirk and Jamestown and the laundry service day to end the week.

“The big thing is the volunteers coming, owning it, serving and smiling,” Errett said.

The Rev. Ben Gerring said about 120 volunteers have helped during the event.

“I think this is a practical application of what we preach,” Gerring said. “This is a culmination of vision brought to the people of the city. When you’re face-to-face with people, it no longer becomes about race, creed, finances or position — there’s this moment when they realize that ‘Someone actually cares who I am,’ and we really believe that it matters who they are.”

Throughout the year, church members try to “be on mission” or serve in their homes and at church, but I Am Loved Week pushes them out into the community in a new way.

“I think it’s working,” Errett said. “The goal in it is that people feel loved, needs are met and there’s this joy that comes in serving.”

For more information on the event or Conduit Ministries, visit Conduitministries.com.