Newswise — DETROIT, IL, July 15, 2024 - The LaundryCares Foundation in partnership with Heights 3 Laundry and US Ventures is excited to announce a collaborative initiative to address the early literacy gap in the Detroit community. On July 24th, we invite the residents of Detroit, MI to join us at Heights 3 Laundry, 13541 W. 8 Mile Road in Detroit, MI, for a Free Laundry and Early Literacy Day event. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., guests will enjoy complimentary laundry services, refreshments, and engaging early literacy activities for children and adults. There are no limitations on the amount of clothing and linens that can be brought in for free washing and drying.

Throughout the afternoon, children will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities and learn from community partners including the Detroit Public Library, RX for Reading Detroit and Brilliant Detroit. The LaundryCares Foundation will also provide attendees with access to a free digital library through Book Smart-World Reader, a reading initiative that gives families access to children’s books with matching corresponding activities right from their family’s phone, and all children will go home with a new book of their choice. We will be featuring our Read Everywhere summer reading program at this event. 

Read, Play & Learn spaces, established in select laundromats nationwide, provide child-friendly and comfortable learning environments that promote school readiness—an essential need often unmet in historically minoritized or marginalized communities. These impactful programs are made possible through the collaborative efforts of, LaundryCares Foundation and Too Small to Fail, who joined forces to create the Laundry Literacy Coalition, focused on supporting early language development in young children. 

The LaundryCares Foundation works hand in hand with laundromat owners and community organizations throughout the United States to connect communities with literacy resources. Enrolling in the LaundryCares Network is free of charge and allows interested parties to actively contribute to the movement aimed at bridging the significant child literacy gap prevalent in historically excluded communities. 

For more information about the LaundryCares Foundation and its initiatives, please visit laundrycares.org.

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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 CLA, formerly the Coin Laundry Association, 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 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 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.