It’s no secret that teachers operate on a tight budget, with many even turning to family and friends to help furnish classrooms and check items off Amazon wishlists.
Enter The Welman Project.
The Fort Worth-based nonprofit has one mission: Filling classrooms, not landfills. How do they do it? Volunteers collect surplus materials from businesses, corporations, office clean-outs, and individual donors. Whatever is collected is then repurposed for use in the classroom.
The Welman Project’s Educator Warehouse is a creative reuse wonderland -- the Wonka Factory of school supplies. But unlike Mr. Wonka's creepy candy, these useful treats are penalty-free. And every other kind of free.
“Teachers can take anything that they want and visit as often as they like,” Creative Director of the Welman Project Vanessa Barker said. “It's all free. The whole idea is to reduce the waste in our community and lessen the burden on teachers to spend their own money on supplies.”
The nonprofit serves public school teachers, accredited charter school teachers, and certain private school teachers. And they don't restrict based on state or county lines.
“We have served teachers all across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico,” Barker said.
Teachers who want to pick up supplies just need to show up with their teacher ID badge. Barker said The Welman Project's staff takes care of everything else, from registry to orientation. On the other hand, people interested in donating need to sign up online.
Barker said they have everything but socks and mattresses because that's kind of gross. The warehouse is open year-round, but for obvious reasons, the past couple of months have been incredibly busy. Barker said they could use some extra help.
“This time of year, when we’ve served hundreds and hundreds of teachers across the metroplex, across Texas … we’re needing supplies," she said.
Barker said she hoped people find it in their hearts to donate, not only to help teachers but to help equip and inspire students as well.
“We’re an opportunity for the community to support education,” she said. “There’s always a way to contribute to a classroom’s success.”
For more information about The Welman Project and how to help, click here.
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