Wisconsin Laundromat, Local Library Team Up to Maximize the Store’s New Family Read, Play & Learn Center
The children who tag along with mom and dad for the weekly trip to JJ’s Laundromat love the store’s Family Read, Play & Learn Center so much that many of them don’t want to leave.
“And sometimes they don’t – even once the family laundry task has been completed,” noted Lance Nevins, who owns the store, located in Appleton, Wis.
Mind you, Nevins isn’t complaining
“It’s great to see kids active again in our literacy space with the new center, especially with COVID-19 winding down,” he said. “The RPL Center shows that our business model is not just about completing a mundane task. We care about our customers and want them to enjoy their experience – and we want to make it a place that children look forward to coming to and can benefit from.”
The Family Read, Play & Learn kits – which are available through the Coin Laundry Association’s LaundryCares Foundation – are uniquely designed to create safe, fun and engaging environments for children and families while at the laundromat. All of the kits are equipped with literacy-rich materials to support young children’s early brain and language development and to help prepare them for success in school and beyond.
“Many families use this space every day to read, color, use the numbers and letters board, and just otherwise engage with their children,” Nevins explained. “Also, it’s fun to let parents and children know that they can take home books that they enjoy, because we receive new books each month. Many customers have commented positively about the learning space, and they thank us for the opportunity to use such a space and to be able to take home books.”
As with many RPL Centers across the country, the local library played an integral role in the launch and success of the literacy program at JJ’s Laundromat.
“The Children’s Department and I had heard about laundromat literacy outreach from some other libraries that’ve partnered with laundromats in the state,” said Colleen Holz, regional coordinator for the Appleton Public Library. “Our library staff is very interested in innovative community outreach ideas to encourage library engagement – and especially early childhood literacy.
“I researched LaundryCares, reached out to Lance at JJ’s and learned that he had already heard of the Family Read Play & Learn Centers and was interested. In addition, the Sawyer Family Fund within the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region was interested in sponsoring the space at JJ’s, and Lance liked the idea of partnering with the Appleton Public Library so that ongoing literacy activities would be offered within the space.”
Together, Holz and JJ’s staff planned an August kickoff event, which featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, free books, a puppet-making station and free detergent to any families with preschool-age children.
“Some of the kids were initially shy about approaching our puppet-making station,” Holz recalled. “However, by the end of the event, they were so focused, working for an hour on making multiple puppets. Also, several of them asked for more books, and we brought plenty to give away.”
The staff at the Appleton Public Library prepare activities on a monthly basis for kids to work on at the laundromat.
“Thus far, we’ve had coloring sheets, a story-walk around the laundromat and origami projects,” Holz explained. “When the number of COVID-19 cases goes down, we look forward to having librarians hold story hours and other activities at JJ’s.”
Holz visits the store every couple of weeks and, each time she returns, whatever materials she previously had brought are gone.
“It’s wonderful to need to re-stock so frequently, because the children are engaging in fun, safe activities that support school-readiness,” she noted. “Our hope is that if a child loves a book that’s in the space, the parents will take it and they’ll keep reading it together at home.”
“It’s fun to see the area active with kids doing something positive, and even more enjoyable when parents are active in the area, reading to and playing with their children,” Nevins added. “I would encourage others to consider installing RPL Centers in their businesses, as well as to work with their local public libraries, foundations and other nonprofits for support and possible grants to contribute toward these centers.
“We look forward to working further with Colleen and the Appleton Public Library on additional programs at our store, such as a library card signup program, bilingual programs and more.”
[For more information about the LaundryCares Foundation, its programs for store owners and how to get involved, contact Dan Naumann at: [email protected]; or visit the organization’s website at: www.laundrycares.org.]
