Lift Up Atlanta: LaundryCares Foundation Citywide Free Laundry and Literacy Day

CHICAGO, IL, June 30, 2022 – In partnership with Too Small To Fail, the early learning initiative of the Clinton Foundation, the LaundryCares Foundation will host five Free Laundry and Literacy events to coincide with the laundry industry trade show, The Clean Show. To be held Friday, July 29, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., these coordinated events will celebrate the pairing of early learning in laundromat spaces as a way to widen and deepen community engagement and early learning. Ribbon cuttings will be conducted at all five sites to open the Read, Play, and Learn spaces formally.

This day is being conducted at the start of the Clean Show to build awareness, involvement, and enthusiasm within the laundry industry for this critical role the industry is taking to transform customer outcomes and deepen community engagement.

Offering community-wide Free Laundry and Literacy Days is a mission of the LaundryCares Foundation. Soap, dryer sheets, and laundry bags are provided alongside the waived fees for laundry washing and drying to give back to customers and the community. Paired with this are raffles for household items, televisions, children’s bikes, and a year of free laundry. These festivities also provide food and music to lift customers and celebrate the community. Early literacy partners are critical to our success. For this multi-site date, we are grateful to the Fulton County Library, Decatur Library, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS) and the Mayor’s Summer Reading Club, and the Parent2Parent-Georgia Association for their support.

Kindergarten Readiness and Third Grade Reading Levels are core areas of concern for the Learn4Life collaborative approach for collective impact in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Exposure to high-quality books, library programming, and other learning toys and interventions are critical for building a school and life-ready community of children in Atlanta. In partnership with Too Small To Fail, LaundryCares is committed to meeting community learning goals by placing the signature Family Read, Play, and Learn spaces in laundries and other community-based locations. To deepen the outcomes, programming, and resources in the areas amplify access and equity for community members.

Atlanta locations:

Bustin’ Suds Laundromat, 1907 Metropolitan Parkway, SW, 30315
The Laundry Center, 2707 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW, 30318
Wash & Spin Coin Laundry 2020 A Campbellton Road, SW, 30311

Metropolitan Atlanta locations:

Peachy Clean Laundromat, 6548 Highway 92, Acworth, GA, 30102
Oz Laundry, 4060 Covington Hwy, Suite 100, Decatur, GA 30032

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About the LaundryCares Foundation

The LaundryCares Foundation is dedicated to enriching communities through the coordinated efforts of local businesses, community leaders and individuals to help better the lives of their neighbors. Since 2006, LaundryCares’ three pillars of philanthropy include offering free laundry services, support of key literacy skills in early childhood development, and disaster relief assistance.

The LaundryCares Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Coin Laundry Association (CLA) a national, nonprofit organization, with a membership of more than 300 manufacturers and distributors, and 1,500 owners in the self-service laundry industry. For more information about the LaundryCares Foundation, visit https://laundrycares.org/.

About Too Small to Fail

Too Small to Fail, the early childhood initiative of the Clinton Foundation, promotes early brain and language development by supporting parents and caregivers with tools to talk, read, and sing with their young children from birth. Today, almost 60 percent of children in the United States start kindergarten unprepared, lagging behind their peers in critical language and reading skills. Through partnerships with pediatricians, hospitals, faith-based leaders, community-based organizations, businesses, entertainment industry leaders, and others, Too Small to Fail is meeting parents where they are to help them prepare their children for success in school and beyond. Whether at the pediatrician’s office or the playground, Too Small to Fail aims to make small moments big by creating opportunities for meaningful interactions anytime, anywhere. Learn more at www.toosmall.org.

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