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WakeEd Partnership Launching Community School Supply Drive in July

Collected Items will go to stock the shelves at Tools4Schools, WakeEd’s Free Classroom Supply Store for Teachers

RALEIGH, N.C. — WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a business-backed nonprofit organization committed to supporting teachers and students in Wake County Public Schools, is launching  “Back to School with Tools4Schools” on July 11, a five week community-wide school supply drive to stock the shelves and warehouse at Tools4Schools before the new school year begins for Year-Round Wake County Public Schools in July and Traditional Calendar in August. The community supply drive begins July 11 and will conclude with an event at Tools4Schools on August 16.

“Thanks to the generosity of this community and our many funding partners and sponsors we were able to open our free classroom supply store in January first to schools serving the lowest wealth families in Wake County, and by May to all schools in the Wake County Public School System,” said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “Now that the word is out amongst teachers about this free classroom supply store created just for them, we want to be ready and fully stocked when they welcome their students back to classrooms in July and August.”

Based on research, each year North Carolina teachers spend an average of $526 out of their own pockets for classroom supplies for their students. WakeEd opened Tools4Schools in January 2022 to help close that gap and ensure that all students have the supplies they need to focus on learning.

Community School Supply Drive Kick-off Event

Back to School with Tools4Schools will kick off on Monday, July 11th at 10:30 AM with an event at the Holly Springs Masonic Lodge 224 Raleigh St, Holly Springs, NC 27540. As part of an eagle scout project, Boy Scout Troop #320, affiliated with the Holly Springs Masons, has built a wooden drop-box to collect supplies during the drive and for use year-round.  Supplies will be accepted beginning at this event, and the lodge will be a permanent collection site.

The Holly Springs Mason Lodge is one of the oldest school buildings in Wake County. The first floor was used for educational purposes from 1852 to 1905. A school for females was established in 1855 and rented Lodge space to operate. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

School Supply Drop-Boxes

The community supply drive will feature school supply drop-off locations across the area. In addition, several businesses and organizations are holding their own school supply drives to collect items for Tools4Schools. A list of the most popular items requested by teachers at Tools4Schools can be found here. 

Drop-Box Locations – July 11 through August 16, 2022

Tools4Schools, 1660 Piney Plains Drive, Cary NC 27518

Boys & Girls Club Zebulon, 1320 Shepard School Road, Zebulon, NC 27597

Boys & Girls Club Wake Forest, 325 S. Wingate Street Wake Forest, NC 27587

Towne Bank, West Cary Branch, 5000 Valleystone Drive #110, Cary, North Carolina 27519

Towne Bank, Midtown Raleigh Branch, 3535 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27612

Holly Springs Masonic Lodge, 224 Raleigh St, Holly Springs, NC 27540

WakeEd Partnership, 3101 Industrial Dr. Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27609

Edwards Beightol Law Firm, 1033 Oberlin Road, Suite 100, Raleigh, North Carolina 27605

Papa Murphy’s locations:

• 161 SE Cary Pkwy, Cary, NC 27511
• 6106 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609
• 11721 Retail Dr Suite 105, Wake Forest, NC 27587
• 3639 SW Cary Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513
• 3434 Kildaire Farm Rd Ste. 127, Cary, NC 27518
• 756 W Williams St, Apex, NC 27502
• 1422 N Main St, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

If you are interested in hosting a Drop-Box at your business, email us at Tools4Schools@wakeed.org. 

Special Events and Supply Drives

UNC Rex Hospital will hold its annual “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive August 8-12 and will deliver the supplies to the Tools4Schools store on August 16.  Further details of this event will be announced in July.

SAS’ United in STEM intern program is running a month-long donation drive in July. They’ll collect and analyze data from teachers to understand what their classrooms need most, so contributions from SAS employees and others make the biggest impact possible. Items will be collected on campus and via the SAS Tools4Schools Amazon Wishlist. Select Wake County teachers will participate in a special SAS Shopping Day at Tools4Schools on July 28.

Staples at 3064 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27609 (Holly Park Shopping Center) is selling classroom supply kits at the cash register for $5 each through September. All boxes sold will go to Tools4Schools to put in the hands of our Wake County teachers. Each box has Expo markers, Sharpies, Sharpie highlighters, Paper Mate pens and pencils and Elmer\’s glue products.  

Brier Creek Shopping Center will collect school supplies for Tools4Schools on Saturday, August 13 during the busy shopping weekend before students return to the classroom.  

On August 20, The NC Courage Women’s Soccer Team will be hosting teacher appreciation night in conjunction with WakeEd and collecting supplies at the game held at Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary.

If your business or organization is interested in hosting your own supply drive, click here to register your Tools4Schools classroom supply drive and click here to download our classroom supply drive kit and start collecting! If you have any questions, email us at Tools4Schools@wakeed.org. 

How else you can support Tools4Schools

Make a cash donation. All gifts are tax-deductible. Click here to donate using a debit or credit card. Checks can be mailed to WakeEd Partnership at 3101 Industrial Drive, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27609, with Tools4Schools on the memo line. 

In addition to cash donations, WakeEd Partnership takes donations of new and gently used items for classroom from companies, organizations and individuals, including serving as a one-stop drop for any community school supply drives that wish to partner with Tool4Schools. 

Shop from our Amazon wishlist to buy items most-requested by our teachers and ship right to the shelves at Tools4Schools. Click here and select our Tools4Schools address at checkout.

For information about additional giving opportunities, including corporate sponsorships, contact our Fundraising Chief Lisa Mead at lmead@wakeed.org. 

WakeEd Partnership needs volunteers to help unpack and sort supplies, stock shelves, answer teacher questions, and more. If you or your family, club, or organization are interested in volunteering, click here to fill out our volunteer form online!

About WakeEd Partnership 
WakeEd Partnership is an independent, nonprofit organization composed of business and community leaders committed to improving public education. Since 1983, the Partnership has advocated for excellent educational opportunities for all students in the Wake County Public School System. For more information, please visit www.wakeed.org.

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