The LaundryCares Foundation, Early Matters San Antonio, and SpinXPress LAUNDRY
The LaundryCares Foundation, together with Early Matters San Antonio and Too Small to Fail, is excited to announce a collaborative initiative to promote early literacy throughout the San Antonio community with SpinXpress LAUNDRY.
San Antonio and Bexar County residents are invited to a Free Literacy and Laundry Day on November 18th at 10 SpinXpress LAUNDRY locations throughout the city and area.
From 3-5 p.m. in all locations, guests will enjoy complimentary laundry services, refreshments, and engaging early literacy activities for children and their families. Families can receive resources from a variety of community partners. There are no limitations on the amount of clothing and linens that can be brought in for free washing and drying. The 10 SpinXpress locations are below. Scroll down for the interactive map:
- 5239 Walzem Road, San Antonio 78218
- 1107 South General McMullen Drive, San Antonio, 78237
- 2235 Thousand Oaks Drive, Suite #114, San Antonio 78232
- 8535 Blanco Road, #101, San Antonio 78216
- 12311 Nacogdoches Rd, #109, San Antonio 78217
- 1139 Southeast Military Drive, San Antonio, TX 78214
- 4535 Fredericksburg Rd #213, San Antonio, TX 78201
- 1721 S WW White Road, San Antonio 78220
- 4941 W. Commerce Street, San Antonio 78237
- 7650 Farm-To-Market Road 78, #101-104, San Antonio 78244
Story time and activities
Throughout the afternoon, children can participate in story time and other activities. The LaundryCares Foundation will also provide attendees with access to a free digital library through Vooks, a reading initiative that allows families to enjoy children’s books and corresponding activities right from their mobile device. In addition, all children will go home with a new book, as we recognize book ownership is one of the most fundamental ways to help children with early literacy skills and to instill a love of reading. “We are honored to partner with SpinXpress LAUNDRY and Early Matters to accelerate early learning in San Antonio,” stated Dan Naumann, EVP of LaundryCares. “This partnership is the largest of its kind for LaundryCares and demonstrates the power of community partnerships like this one between SpinXpress LAUNDRY and Early Matters San Antonio coming together to strengthen outcomes for families.”
SpinXpress LAUNDRY’s participation reflects its broader commitment to the communities it serves. Through its Community Outreach Program, SpinXpress works with local shelters, nonprofits, schools and social-service organizations to make essential laundry services more accessible to individuals and families in need. Its outreach includes free or discounted laundry support, laundry-card donations through shelter partners and community events that connect neighbors with helpful resources. The company also works with local schools and colleges to offer flexible employment opportunities for students.
Talking is Teaching: Teach, Read, Sing
For Early Matters San Antonio, this partnership puts a community-developed priority into action: bringing early learning opportunities into places families already visit. Members of its Family Engagement Workgroup identified laundromats as a way to reach young children and their caregivers, including those who are not enrolled in child care or preschool. Early Matters’ investment, matched by SpinXpress LAUNDRY, supports Family Read, Play & Learn Spaces across all 10 locations, with monthly book deliveries to keep the spaces stocked and support families’ continued participation.
The spaces also extend Early Matters’ countywide Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing campaign, which encourages parents and caregivers to turn everyday moments into opportunities for early learning. By bringing together funding, community partners, books and learning materials, Early Matters is helping families access resources that support their children’s development close to home.
Family Read, Play & Learn spaces, located in select laundromats nationwide, provide child-friendly and comfortable learning environments that promote school readiness and opportunities for parents/caregivers and children to engage in literacy activities together.
These impactful programs are made possible through the collaborative efforts of the LaundryCares Foundation and Too Small to Fail Initiative, which joined forces to create the Laundry Literacy Coalition, focused on supporting early language development in young children.
Laundromat owners and literary resources
The LaundryCares Foundation works together 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 promoting early literacy for young children particularly in under-resourced communities. This initiative is the 2024 Library of Congress David M. Rubenstein Award winner: the nation’s most prestigious award for outstanding and measurable contributions to literacy.