Local teachers will be back at The Education Partnership in Elliott on Saturday to “shop” for this school year after $81,000 worth of books, binders, and other school supplies were generated from this year’s 11 Cares ‘Pack the Bus’ event.
Every single item goes a long way, thanks to generous donations made possible by community members, vendors, 11 Cares community partners, and The Education Partnership.
“We’re able to turn every dollar that’s donated into $8 worth of school supplies,” said Kiki Reis, advancement director for The Education Partnership.
Thousands of teachers across 231 schools in eight counties can come and shop, taking whatever they need for free twice during the school year.
“You might get 30 glue sticks from us at the beginning of the year, while half of them are going to be dried up by the second half. So we really try to replenish teachers,” Reis said.
Applications opened in March for schools, which must meet the criteria of at least 70 percent of students being eligible for school lunch programs. Volunteers spent part of their Friday restocking for the next round of visits, with each teacher scheduling an appointment to shop.
“it’s wonderful to meet them because they are educating and they dedicated their life to education,” said Lisa-Ann Smith, a volunteer.
For Smith, doing her part to help make this possible is rewarding, year after year.
“Teachers don’t make enough money, and they do pay for a lot out of their pockets. Everything around education is important,” Smith said.
There are several ways you can still donate to this initiative. Clearview Federal Credit Union will collect supplies until August 15th. The Education Partnership is currently accepting donations six days a week at its warehouse.
You can also donate via Venmo to @theeducationpartnership to support students in need, or you can send a check to The Education Partnership; 281 Corliss Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15220.
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