Make a difference in kids’ lives; help teachers

At Feed the Children, we understand the importance of education and believe it is one of the best ways to break the cycle of poverty. That’s why each August for the past decade, we’ve welcomed thousands of teachers to shop at our Teacher Stores.

Opening week at the Teacher Store is one of my favorite times of year — in fact, it’s the highlight of my summer. I love to see all the teachers buzzing around picking out the much-needed items for their classrooms as well as supplies and books for their students. Earlier this month, we welcomed more than 1,500 teachers from across Oklahoma to the Teacher Store’s new location in our Oklahoma City McCormick Distribution Center. I am looking forward to seeing these same excited teachers as they come back each month to restock supplies and books for their classrooms.

Recent survey data revealed the average educator spent $745 out of their own pocket last school year to provide students with the resources needed to thrive. We opened our first Teacher Store in Indiana because we saw teachers going without so that their students could have what they needed. Throughout the past decade, we’ve worked to expand our offerings to meet the growing needs of educators. During this time, our goal has remained the same — to reach as many pre-K through 12th-grade students as possible by providing them with the necessary tools for a successful school year.

The past 18 months have been especially challenging for educators with in-person, virtual and hybrid learning models. That’s one reason we are working with both corporate and community partners to meet the needs of teachers in new ways, by going into their communities. By linking forces with corporate and community partners, we were able to hold seven “pop-up” Teacher Stores stretching across Oklahoma, as well as one in Fort Smith, Arkansas. These events allowed us to reach teachers and students in their hometowns to provide classroom supplies, books and snacks.

In fiscal year 2020, our Oklahoma City Teacher Store hosted nearly 5,500 visits from educators across the state. But this site is only one of five locations we have across the U.S. We also serve students and teachers in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Arizona. Last year, we were able to supply classroom items to 355 school districts, benefiting nearly 575,000 students. In total, we distributed more than $10 million in free classroom supplies and books.

When it comes to the needs of educators and students, this is just the tip of the iceberg. One of my favorite quotes is, “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” I believe that we as an organization must challenge ourselves and continue to look for innovative ways to defeat hunger. One of the most profound ways to accomplish this is by supporting teachers and students with school supplies and books.

We work every day to make a difference in the lives of children. One of the most significant ways we can do this is to help our teachers.

THE OKLAHOMAN FILE Oklahoma City-area teachers pick out school supplies Aug. 16, 2012, as Feed the Children opens its new Teachers Store at its OKC headquarters.