CHARLOTTE – The Patterson Foundation and the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading hosts the second Pop Up Neighbor through Laundry event in Port Charlotte. While families get their laundry paid for, kids are encouraged to read.
“This is one of the ways we can spread joy in our community and really make strong connections that will help us make sure every individual is thriving and our community as a whole is thriving,” said Director of the Sunocast Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Beth Duda.
Duda helps organize pop up neighbor events in Manatee, Sarasota, Desoto, and Charlotte County to connect community leaders with the residents of their communities.
“The Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading is dedicated to making sure all of our children especially children being raised in challenging economic situations can read on grade level by the end of third grade,” said Duda. “And one of our pillars is to make sure we have a strong community and family engagement.”
Lucenda Daniels and her father were running errands when they stopped at the SuperMatt Laundromat not knowing what they were in store for inside.
“We thought inside was really busy so we were getting ready to leave and then someone came up and then they were like it’s your lucky day, free laundry and me and my dad were ecstatic,” said Daniels.
Daniels said she was all ready to do laundry and spend a load of change. She says this surprise is a blessing. “I went to Publix got detergent and everything and I was thinking of spending money then come here, they tell me it’s free and I’m just…my heart is filled with joy that’s literally it,” she said
Duda says you can expect more neighbor events to pop up on the Suncoast.
