PHILADELPHIA — The LaundryCares Foundation, in partnership with Too Small to Fail, is collaborating with a pair of local laundromats to benefit families in The City of Brotherly Love.

On Monday, October 9, local residents are invited to visit Big G Laundromat at 162 W. Chelten Ave. and Laundry Café Parkwest at 1575 N. 52nd St. for a Free Laundry and Literacy Day event.

From 1 to 5 p.m. Eastern on that day, customers will enjoy complimentary laundry services, refreshments, and engaging 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.

During the event, both laundromats—which are roughly six miles apart—will unveil new Read, Play & Learn spaces, providing children with access to early learning and literary-rich materials while their caregivers attend to their laundry needs. Local leadership and Philadelphia Public Library staff will preside over ribbon-cutting ceremonies at 2 p.m. Following the ceremonies, Too Small to Fail will host story time sessions at both venues. Financial literacy resources will be offered courtesy of Eastern Funding.

Throughout the afternoon, children will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities, and receive a free book from Scholastic. The LaundryCares Foundation will also provide attendees with access to a free digital library through World Reader, as part of a back-to-school literacy initiative that encourages children to read 20 minutes each day.

Read, Play & Learn spaces, which can be found in select laundromats nationwide, provide child-friendly and comfortable learning environments that promote school readiness.

LaundryCares works with laundromat owners and community organizations to connect communities with literacy resources. Membership in its LaundryCares Network is free and allows interested parties to actively contribute to the movement aimed at bridging the significant child literacy gap prevalent in historically excluded communities.