United Way of Central Georgia (UWCG) launched its first Laundromat Library on Tuesday, February 28, at the Eisenhower Laundromat (100 S Heron Street). This was done in partnership with Zeta Amicae of Macon, an auxiliary group of the Epsilon Tau Zeta Chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. 

Laundromat Library, a United Way of Central Georgia Community Schools United outreach program, launched to increase access to books for children outside the home in unconventional settings such as laundromats, barbershops, and hair salons. 

“A child’s reading skills are critically important to their success in school as they will allow them to access the breadth of the curriculum and improve their communication and language skills. In addition, reading can be a fun and imaginative time for children, which opens doors to all kinds of new worlds for them. But none of that is possible if they do not have access to age-appropriate books,” said UWCG President & CEO George McCanless. 

UWCG partnered with volunteers of Zeta Amicae of Macon to manage the book nooks at select business locations in Macon-Bibb County. Book nooks are unobscured spaces with milk crates filled with elementary level books. On site, young readers are encouraged to read a book or bring one home to share with others.

The Community Foundation of Central Georgia’s On the Table initiative funded the Laundromat Library with a Conversation to Action grant.

“Two determinants of a child’s success when they start school are being read to regularly and the number of words heard by the child. Laundromat Library is an easy way to help the children in our community be successful,” said Kathryn Dennis, President of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.