Free Self-Service Laundry for Our Unhoused Neighbors

Spin & Go is bringing its mobile laundry truck to the Lillian Marrero Library on Thursday, October 29, for another round of free self-service laundry for unhoused community members. It's part of a regular Thursday morning run—the truck pulls up outside the library at 10:30 AM, and the laundry is self-serve, with detergent provided. If you know someone who could use it, this is one of those practical resources that's just there when you need it.

The truck parks outside the Lillian Marrero Library at 601 West Lehigh Avenue, at the corner of 6th and Lehigh in Philadelphia. The branch has a long history in the neighborhood; it opened on November 20, 1906, as the Lehigh Avenue Branch, built with funds from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. In its white limestone Grecian style, it was the largest library in Pennsylvania at the time. It was rehabilitated in 1967 and again in 1997 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet service to every library in the system.

The surrounding neighborhood grew around 19th-century industry, including the world-famous Stetson Hat Factory at 5th and Montgomery, which closed in 1971. In 2018, the branch was designated a Zone of Peace by the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia. That designation fits the kind of work that happens here, like the Spin & Go truck pulling up on Thursday mornings so people can get their clothes cleaned.

The service is free, and since it's self-serve, you handle your own laundry. The truck is there on Thursdays at 10:30 AM, and the next date is Thursday, October 29, at the Lillian Marrero Library, 601 West Lehigh Avenue (6th St. & Lehigh Ave.), Philadelphia, PA 19133-2228.