PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Delaware County non-profit is celebrating a year of free school supply shopping for teachers.
Teachers' Teammates has fulfilled 460 orders to date, for 220 different teachers from 32 schools. It started last February 1, and has resulted in $288,000 in school supplies.
“We started in Delaware County out of my house and my garage and before you know, we outgrew it," said Raelyn Harman, the organization's founder and president.
"People heard about us, and started to offer space in their own garages.”
Now, they have a full 3,000-square-foot warehouse in Folcroft filled with supplies donated from businesses, groups and community members.
She said that as the word spread, the trucks started pulling up.
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“We got a tractor-trailer load from Joanne Stores, then we got the last of the inventory from AC Moore in Moorestown, then we got a tractor trailer load of hand sanitizer," Harman said.
If a teacher works in a Delaware County school where at least 65% percent of the students are eligible for free lunch, they are eligible and can pay just $35 per year which contributes to storage costs.
They can then shop for free, four times a year. Each shopping trip results in over $700 worth of supplies.
“One of the nice things about this model is that teachers can pick exactly what their students need, not a one-size-fits-all-type of donation," Harman added.
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“A lot of offices have changed their way of operating so office supplies are not used the same way. Everything used in an office can be used in a classroom.”
Harman said she hopes this will grow to nearby areas such as Philadelphia, as many teachers have already expressed an interest.
To celebrate their first anniversary, Teachers' Teammates is offering an extra year of membership for the first 22 teachers who sign up.
Click here for more information.
