SCGLR's Pop-Up Neighbor Event at SuperMatt Laundromat — August 18, 2018

On August 18, 2018, the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and The Laundry Project teamed up to hold a #PopUpNeighbor event at SuperMatt Laundromat/Lavandería in North Sarasota. Pop Up Neighbor events are unexpected opportunities where caring volunteers make real connections with individuals and families while alleviating the cost of laundry. For three hours, everyone who walked into the laundromat had their laundry fees paid, thanks to the generosity of The Patterson Foundation. The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County and The Patterson Foundation provided books for the children, All Faiths Food Bank supplied Snack Sacks for all the laundromat patrons, the Sarasota County Library System was there with information on how to get a library card, Manatee Rural Health Services provided information on health resources, Volunteer readers kept the book nook alive sharing books and stories, Literacy Council of Sarasota shared information about helping adults and families improve English language communications skills through personalized, needs-based tutoring, UnidosNow provided information on college and career readiness and other programs as they empowered Latinos to achieve their American dreams, and SNN, The Suncoast News Network, helped share our mission of helping all children, especially those from low-income families, succeed in school by ensuring they read on grade level by the end of third grade.The Patterson Foundation provided breakfast and lunch, and the volunteers and laundromat patrons provided bundles of goodwill, baskets full of smiles, and a sense of community that will last far longer than fresh-scent of the dryer sheets. – Beth Duda, Director of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level