School Supply Items Are Distributed at Tools4Schools, WakeEd’s Free Classroom Supply Store for Teachers
RALEIGH, N.C. — WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a business-backed nonprofit organization that supports teachers and students in Wake County Public Schools, announced today they had collected more than 125,000 school supply items and at least $50,000 in monetary donations during its first-ever “Back to School with Tools4Schools” community-wide school supply drive. The community supply drive was launched July 11 to stock the shelves at Tools4Schools, WakeEd’s free classroom supply store for Wake County Public Schools teachers. The community supply drive began July 11 and WakeEd celebrated crossing the finish line at an event today at the Tools4Schools store.
“We asked the community to help our students and teachers and they responded in a big way,“ said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “Our first-ever Community Supply Drive exceeded our expectations and will make a huge difference for thousands of teachers and students in Wake County Public Schools.”
In addition to more than 125,000 school supply items, WakeEd Partnership raised more than $25,000 in monetary donations meeting a challenge matching grant from the 4Others Foundation to raise the total to $50,000. As school supplies and donations continue to come in, WakeEd expects the final totals to be even higher.
“This community believes in our public schools and they’re showing it by directly supporting our teachers and students with their generosity,” said Poston.
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.
During the Finish Line event today, WakeEd Partnership thanked several key partners and donors:
Top Supply Drive Partners
- UNC Rex Healthcare – 24,000 school supply items
- SAS
- Carolina Hurricanes
- North Carolina Courage and North Carolina FC
- Brier Creek Commons
- WakeMed
- Staples
- TowneBank
- Papa Murphys
- Wake County Boys & Girls Club
- YMCA of the Triangle
- Edwards Beightol Law
- The Row House
Top Tools4Schools Sponsors
- 4Others Foundation
- Amgen Foundation
- The Marcotte Family Foundation
- Goodnight Educational Foundation
- Elizabeth Gant
- Arthur Ashley Williams Foundation
- TowneBank
- Wake County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #41
- Mebane Charitable Foundation
- Wake County Government
- Wake County Public School System
- Wake County Board of Education
- Consortium for School Networking
- David Dew
- Wake County PTA Council
- LifeTouch
- Amazon
- Publix
- Delta Dental
- Jeffreys Grove Magnet Elementary PTA
- Sarah Quinlan
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.