Free Laundry and Literacy Day events to raise awareness about Loads of Learning GNV
Press release from the City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Loads of Learning GNV is helping Gainesville families in underserved communities by turning any routine laundry day into an opportunity for children to improve their literacy skills.
Offered in partnership with the LaundryCares Foundation, the City of Gainesville, and community partners, the free reading program presents library-like story times, complete with book selections and volunteers, in participating local laundromats.
Now, the LaundryCares Foundation will host Free Laundry and Literacy Day events at two Gainesville locations to celebrate the pairing of early learning in laundromat spaces.
When: 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, March 28
Where:
Fresh Laundry & Café, 3830 SW 13th St.
Wash King, 210 NE 16th Ave.
Soap and dryer sheets will be provided, and fees for laundry washing and drying will be waived at the events. No registration is required.
The Loads of Learning program is designed to facilitate family-empowered literacy and learning in community spaces.
“Our organization is dedicated to helping under-resourced neighborhoods by making literacy and learning attainable,” said Dan Naumann, Executive VP, LaundryCares Foundation. “The Free Laundry and Literacy Day events are an important recognition of a growing U.S. population with children and families who often find it challenging to have basic needs met,” he said.
Based on a creative initiative from the LaundryCares Foundation and its “Read, Play & Learn” program, Loads of Learning GNV works with local laundromat owners to support thinking and language development in young children.
“With so many families using local laundries, it makes sense to repurpose the venues as a location for much-needed educational resources,” said Karissa Raskin, manager of systems change and special projects at the City.
Loads of Learning GNV story times are scheduled at participating laundromats (subject to volunteer availability):
Saturday mornings (8 a.m.-noon)
Fresh Laundry & Café, 3830 SW 13th St.
DJ Laundry, 2308-B SE Hawthorne Rd.
DJ Laundry, 318 SW 16th Ave.
Wash King, 210 NE 16th Ave.
Tuesday evenings (4-8 p.m.)
Fresh Laundry & Café, 3830 SW 13th St.
DJ Laundry, 2308-B SE Hawthorne Rd.
Wednesday evenings (4-8 p.m.)
DJ Laundry, 318 SW 16th Ave.
Wash King, 210 NE 16th Ave.
Additional community partners include Episcopal Children’s Services, the Alachua County Library District, the United Way of North Central Florida, Too Small to Fail, and participating laundromat owners.
Our tax dollars hard at work. 🙁
“said Karissa Raskin, manager of systems change and special projects at the City”. Who? What? Just how many people work in “special projects for the city? I don’t think anyone has a clue just how bloated and inefficient our city government really is. It’s not all about GRU folks. We are screwed.
If my tax money was used, than it’s a “load of crap”. The parents and the public schools system are
That bad that they have to do this?
The city can cut the “loads of crap laundry program, 🌈 rainbow crosswalks downtown, & feminine products in mens rooms to save GRU instead.
There are only so many free washers and dryers for all of east Gainesville for 2 hours next week, so I hope things won’t get too out of control. This could turn out to be like the WKRP episode when Les drops free Thanksgiving turkeys from a helicopter.