Why does Mama insist Liesel pick up and deliver the washing?

In Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, Liesel Meminger is a young girl living in Germany during the time of the Nazi regime in World War II. The book is narrated by Death itself, who sees Liesel's younger brother die near the very beginning of the book.

Her father has been taken away because he is a suspected communist, and Liesel's mother could be taken away as well because she is connected to her possibly communist...

In Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, Liesel Meminger is a young girl living in Germany during the time of the Nazi regime in World War II. The book is narrated by Death itself, who sees Liesel's younger brother die near the very beginning of the book.

Her father has been taken away because he is a suspected communist, and Liesel's mother could be taken away as well because she is connected to her possibly communist husband, so Liesel is taken in by Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who act as foster parents. Rosa, or Mama, works doing laundry for the people in their town. Rosa is a pretty harsh person, and Nazi Germany is becoming a harder and harder place to live in, including in terms of the economy. She hopes that by having Liesel, a child, pick up and deliver laundry, people will have sympathy for her and keep using Rosa's laundry service.