Gary Cheatham founded Auntie Helen’s in a one-car garage in July 1988 as a fluff and fold laundry project to help one person with AIDS.  Since then, the grassroots, community-based agency has served thousands of people with AIDS, providing free laundry services for people who are too sick to do their own laundry.

Today, Auntie Helen’s provides laundry pick-up and delivery at no charge to clients with AIDS, in addition to serving people with emergency clothing and medical equipment needs.

The non-profit organization expanded to include a thrift shop in August 1989.  This thrift shop, co-located with the laundry service, financially assists the laundry service operation.

In addition to funding from the thrift shop, our laundry operation is funded from a variety of other sources including private foundations and corporations, individual donors, an annual direct mail fundraising campaign, and local fundraising events.

Auntie Helen’s was the first program of its kind and is currently the only one of its kind currently operating in the U.S.  The agency was named as a National Point of Light by The White House in 1991.  In addition, Auntie Helen's has received an Apostolic Blessing from His Holiness Pope John Paul II and has been awarded many state and local honors.