NEW YORK — Clean Rite Center is expanding its community outreach efforts here through the next phase of a multi-year partnership with Darnell Cares, a nonprofit focused on improving access to basic hygiene resources for underserved populations.
The initiative is designed to support public school students by providing access to clean clothing and personal care items.
Beginning this month, Darnell Cares is working with public schools across all five boroughs to establish in-school hygiene pantries stocked with toiletries, detergent pods, and free Clean Rite Center laundry cards. The pantries allow students to obtain essentials privately, and the laundry cards can be used at nearby Clean Rite Center locations.
The program is launching at one school in the Bronx, where approximately 70% of students live below the poverty line, and another in Queens, where more than half of students face economic hardship. Additional school sites are planned through 2026 as the partnership expands citywide.
The effort is intended to help reduce chronic absenteeism, which has increased across New York City since the pandemic, organizers say. Recent data shows roughly one in three public school students was chronically absent last school year, with lack of clean clothing cited as a contributing factor for some families.
Clean Rite Center officials note that providing laundry access goes beyond cleanliness, offering students dignity, confidence, and consistency. The company is an approved New York City Department of Education vendor and has partnered with more than 300 public schools since 2022. During that time, it has donated more than $500,000 in laundry services, primarily supporting students living in temporary housing.
The initiative highlights how laundromats can serve as both essential service providers and community anchors — addressing real needs while strengthening local relationships.
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