Local Laundromat Owner Attends LaundryCares Literacy Summit Focused on Supporting Customers with Books and Literacy Resources
November 2020
Salem, Massachusetts — Point Laundry, aka Fresh Express Laundry Center, was among more than 870 laundromat owners and literacy advocates who attended the 3rd annual LaundryCares Literacy Summit. The virtual event was presented by the Laundry Literacy Coalition — a group comprised of the Clinton Foundation’s early childhood initiative, Too Small to Fail, the LaundryCares Foundation, and other partners. The event created new and renewed existing commitments aimed to promote early learning and create literacy-rich environments in everyday spaces, such as laundromats, for children and their families. This year’s event focused on exploring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on early learning, and actions that business owners and community leaders can take to support parents and children in under-resourced communities.
President Bill Clinton kicked off the event with a keynote and conversation with Wes Moore, CEO, Robin Hood Foundation; and Chelsea Clinton also served as a keynote speaker and presented the first-ever LaundryCares Achievement Awards to recognize outstanding service and exemplary best practices for laundromat owners, early literacy providers, and partnerships.
Featured speakers also included Brian Wallace, CEO, Coin Laundry Association; Patti Miller, CEO, Too Small To Fail; Andrea Davis Pinkey, New York Times best-selling author; Cindy McCain, McCain Institute for International Leadership; Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Senior Vice President, Sesame Workshop; Dr. Susan Neuman, New York University; Ralph Smith, Managing Director, Campaign for Grade Level Reading; Mo Willems, New York Times best-selling children’s author, and more.
New research findings from an evaluation conducted by Dr. Susan Neuman, NYU Professor of Literacy & Childhood Education, were presented to participants. The study evaluated the impact of integrating “Family Read, Play & Learn” spaces in 10 laundromats across Chicago compared to 10 laundromats without the spaces, as well as the effects of training outreach librarians from Chicago Public Library to lead regular family story times and literacy activities. Key study findings included:
- Placing “Family Read, Play & Learn” spaces in laundromats had an overwhelmingly positive effect on children’s literacy-related activity during their visit.
- Librarians played a powerful role on both children and parents’ engagement in literacy-related activity.
- More parents became involved in their children’s literacy-related activities during the librarians’ visits.
- Children remained engaged in the literacy-related spaces throughout the study period.
Throughout the Summit, participants were also encouraged to submit action plans on how they will take steps to support children and families in laundromats in their communities. Laundromat owners pledged to integrate “Family Read, Play & Learn” spaces in their stores, librarians and educators plan to launch laundromat outreach pilot programs, and community leaders will create literacy-rich spaces in every day spaces using signage and tools to distribute early learning resources to parents and caregivers.
Point Laundry was providing Free Laundry Days in partnership with Laundry Love and Father Nathan Ives of Saint Peters Church monthly until last March when Covid 19 safe practices made large gatherings inappropriate. In response to the continuing and increasing need in the community, Whitmore pledged to provide $50 of free laundry to each of 50 families and books monthly to these same families for a year.
“This event demonstrates the potential that neighborhood businesses like ours have to directly impact the communities we serve. Laundromat owners are now seeing proof that making literacy-rich spaces and books available at their stores will help children reach their potential, “said Brian Wallace, President and CEO of Coin Laundry Association.
Whitmore asserts, “Parents faced with basic need choices of providing food, shelter, and clean clothing, need community support. This support provides parental bandwidth to allow education to become a priority.”
Point Laundry, aka Fresh Express Laundry Center, is a community focused Laundry with the following mission: “To obtain the highest level of customer satisfaction and professionalism in the self service laundry industry. To be the standard bearer of excellence in our industry. For every person, be she or he a customer, a vendor, a neighbor, or an employee, to know their greatness, dignity, and contribution in our world.”