How the Story Began: Adopt-A-Teacher (2016 – 2020)
“Teaching is the greatest job in the world. Every day I get the chance to change a child’s life through encouragement, love, support, and knowledge. My only regret is that I don’t earn enough to help the needs of all of my kids in the classroom.”
–Middle School Teacher
One could argue that no adult is more trusted by children than a caring and loving teacher. Teachers frequently have the opportunity to help identify children in need. Through everyday encounters, they can establish a network of support that often brings needed comfort, trust, and peace into a child’s world. For that reason, we align our foundation’s support squarely behind our county’s elementary, middle and high school teachers.
By doing so, we also get a look into their world and the day to day struggles many of them face. Although the academic environment is structured for learning, the ability to learn is dependent on a child’s arriving at school with basic needs. Basic school supplies (pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, etc.) are often missing from the students’ book bag. And many times those needs fall at the feet of our teachers.
- 91% of teachers in US spend an average of $800 a year for their students.
- Most public K-12 school systems are receiving less support from states than ever before. This leaves a big gap! Teachers often step in and fill those gaps for students who do not have the family support or financial ability to provide these daily supplies.
From 2016 – 2020, our Adopt-A-Teacher program stepped in to help offset this ongoing need by aligning parents, residents, community leaders and local businesses with teachers in need. Teachers (we call them “Adoptees”) provide us with a “wish list” of needed materials and supplies. We matched the wishlist to an adopter and then facilitate the delivery of the supplies to the school. Over the five years, the annual campaign matched over 1,200 teachers with local “adopters” who provided school supplies to address the needs within a classroom.