This week’s Blackbaud Non-profit of the Match is Teachers’ Supply Closet, an organization devoted to serving children in the tri-county area by providing free school supplies to assist with their educational and creative needs. Teachers’ Supply Closet is working towards an overarching goal of providing every child in the area with the school supplies they need to succeed.
TSC targets schools in the tri-county area where 83% of the students are on the free or reduced meals program. There are currently 43 schools in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties that meet the requirement. The leaders of the Teachers’ Supply Closet hope to expand the program to include schools at the 70% poverty line in the near future.
Teachers’ Supply Closet is focused on helping children in the Charleston area; 95 cents of every dollar the organization receives goes directly into supporting teachers and students in the community. In 2015, TSC served over 25,000 students in Charleston.
We caught up with Tracee Clapper, who works with TSC, to find out more about the organization and how Battery fans can help.
CB: What does the organization enable students to do? How does Teachers’ Supply Closet help improve students experiences in school?
Teachers’ Supply Closet enables students in local Title I schools to receive the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom. According to teacher survey responses, without the supplies that Teachers’ Supply Closet provides for students, those students would go without basic items, such as pencils, paper and other much needed materials that TSC offers. Students oftentimes don’t have supplies at home to complete homework, so teachers can send supplies they receive from TSC home with their students as well. Without TSC, students would either go without the supplies, or teachers would continue to spend out of their own pockets to provide for their students in need.
CB: What types of supplies does the organization need?
TSC has a top ten needs list:
- Composition notebooks
- Tissues/hand sanitizer
- Glue sticks
- Crayons (24 pack)
- Scissors
- Liquid glue
- Pencils
- Pink erasers
- Washable markers
- Pocket folders
CB: Where can people go to donate supplies? Right now, TSC is accepting donations by appointment. Just give us a call and we can set up a time to meet and pick up supplies. 843-714-0234.
CB: How can Battery fans get involved/help with Teachers’ Supply Closet?
Teachers’ Supply Closet is most in need of volunteers during the scheduled “teacher shopping” times. We need volunteers to assist the teachers with collecting the supplies listed on our digital shopping sheets. This fall, teacher shopping is scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM. During that time, we need about 12 volunteers per afternoon that can guide teachers through the “store,” helping them select and count the items they choose from the sheets. We also need loaders who will assist teachers in getting their filled shopping carts of supplies loaded into their vehicles. The dates for fall shopping are Tuesday, September 13th – Thursday, November 10th.
Another way to get involved would be to sponsor or register a team for our golf fundraiser, Tee it Up Fore! Kids, which is September 16, 2016 at Stono Ferry Golf Course. For more information about the golf tournament, click here!
