ORLANDO, Fla. – More than 200 educators had the chance to shop for school supplies free of charge at Orange County’s A Gift for Teaching.
The free teacher supply store reopened on Tuesday and will remain open through the end of the school year, the nonprofit announced.
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A Gift for Teaching offers educators in the most under-resourced public schools an opportunity to shop every month for free educational resources at a store, online, or through a mobile unit.
In a news release, the nonprofit said that “More than 70% of schools in Central Florida are considered high-need, and thousands of their students will arrive on the first day of school with nothing in their hands.”
According to the National Retail Federation, families can plan to spend a new record average of $890 for back-to-school shopping this year, with 39% planning to cut back in other areas of spending to cover the higher cost of school supplies.
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Teachers who shop at A Gift For Teaching often bring an average value of $650 worth of free supplies back to their classrooms, the group announced.
According to the nonprofit’s release, more than $11 million worth of essentials were distributed last year, and one-third of the essentials are collected and raised through A Gift for Teaching’s Ready for Back-to-School, a community giveback campaign presented by Walt Disney World Resort, aimed to help students start the school year excited and prepared to learn.
News 6 recently announced they were teaming up with A Gift for Teaching to make sure Central Florida families, students and teachers are prepared for the school year.
On Aug. 17, watch the WKMG News 6 telethon on-air to help the nonprofit. Your donation will be eligible to be doubled on telethon day by matching funders. Every $1 received can provide up to $20 worth of supplies to teachers and their students
Thousands of volunteers packed thousands of backpacks as part of the organization’s The Great Big Backpack Build event in June.
For shopping eligibility and information for the free teacher supply store, click here.
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