Teachers’ Teammates Tops $2 Million Milestone of Donations to Schools With Back to School Teacher and Student Deliveries Launching This Week

FOLCROFT, PA (August 27, 2024). – As a new school year begins, Teachers’ Teammates is marking a major milestone in the nonprofit’s mission to support local educators and help local students thrive, surpassing $2 million in donated school supplies being distributed to Delaware County classrooms.  This week Back To School orders will be locked and loaded for delivery.

 

Since its founding in July 2020, Teachers’ Teammates has filled 2,620 teacher orders and given $433,646 in bulk product donations, for a total of $2,136,250. This number keeps growing every day.

 

“We are incredibly grateful for all of the donors and volunteers who have given so generously to support students and educators in Delaware County. We know that on average, a teacher invests one whole paycheck to supplement supplies in their classroom.  Can we all agree that teachers should never have to dip into their own pockets to fund the basic needs?  While we celebrate this milestone we know it also represents the significant needs of some schools in our community,” said Raelyn Harman, director and founder.

 

Teachers’ Teammates solicit and collect donated supplies from individuals and businesses and gets them to Delco schools where 65 percent or more of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. That’s about 75 schools - with a potential of 3,000 eligible educators.

A typical day at the warehouse, ensuring inventory is ready to go to teachers.

In the Spring, Teachers Teammates entered into a partnership with Amazon Gives.  This program provides local Freight-in-Kind and makes it possible to receive large quantities of surplus product from around the country.  For example to date, Teachers Teammates has received 13 pallets of poster board, 26,000 pencils from Atlanta, 3 pallets of copy paper from TNT Removal Services, office supplies from multiple corporations when they moved,  tractor trailer loads of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, feminine hygiene supplies and pallets of tempera paint from Pittsburgh, just to name a few.

 

Teachers’ Teammates began in Harman’s Havertown home and has since grown into a full-time operation with a bustling, 3,000 square foot warehouse in Folcroft and dozens of volunteers each week helping to organize donations, fill orders, and make school deliveries.

 

The organization’s rapid growth  accelerated in the past year thanks in part to a grant from the Foundation for Delaware County, which enabled all orders to be delivered directly to teachers at their school. Pickup of orders at the Teammates’ warehouse in Folcroft had previously been a barrier for some teachers. As a result of delivery, teachers placed 30 percent more orders than last year.

 

Currently, 540 educators have joined Teachers’ Teammates for access to abundant resources solicited and collected. Members are eligible for four  “shopping” trips each year for school supplies and specialty goods listed in the online store. The most popular items are book bags, copy paper, notebooks, crayons, markers, feminine hygiene kits, art supplies, incentive bags, binders and grade-level books.  Each order averages a remarkable $500 value of free classroom items.

 

Teachers’ Teammates is sustained by a dedicated corps of volunteers and local businesses who repeatedly step in with manpower and donations. Ashley Productions has been a consistent and generous partner, and its supplies are among those most in demand from teacher members.

 

All educators in qualifying districts, including teachers, school nurses, counselors and administrators - are eligible for membership. The dues ($40 for a two-year membership)  help defray warehouse and delivery costs, and many teachers have joined through donated memberships. 

The team at Teachers Teammates would love to show you how it all comes together to enhance the classroom experience for teachers and students.  Contact info@teachersteammates.org to find out how you, your business, or your community group can get involved through a community day of service, as a volunteer, or by making a donation that can help us enhance the support to teachers and students.

 

Media Contact

Cindi Sutera

CindiS@AMSCommunications.net

610-613-2773

For more information, visit teachersteammates.org

 

 

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