WICHITA, Kan. — It was a Christmas surprise Terry Johnson says will celebrated the entire year.
A warehouse recently donated nearly 600 reams of card stock to his non-profit store of Project Teacher, which helps give teachers school supplies for free.
The store opened in September at the Westlink Shopping Center at Central and Tyler. About 500 teachers have reaped the benefits of the program.
“If we can get them the resources they need,” he said. “They’re going to teach better and we’ve seen that over and over.”
Johnson’s wife, Rachel, is teacher in Wichita. Over the years, they’ve realized how taxing supplies are to educators. While schools help provide a bulk of the essentials, by the time the New Year hits, resources dwindle.
Johnson said on average, a teacher can pay $600 to $1,500 for supplies. It can be a tough expectation.
“There are so many different things to make the classroom workable, and over the years you collect those things,said teacher Mallory Williams, “But, those first couple years, you’re looking at thousands of dollars that teachers are spending, just to make their classrooms feel like home.”
Some of the hot-ticket items include pens, pencils and paper. At the top of the list? Williams said she can’t get enough dry erase markers.
A CAMPAIGN FOR MORE SUPPLIES
Johnson said Project Teacher has partnered with the Kids in Need Foundation. A part of that partnership includes supplies from a facility in Pennsylvania.
Now, Johnson has started a fundraiser to get $2,500. The money would pay for a truck to ship the supplies to Wichita. The total value of supplies in that shipment ranges from $75,000 to $100,000 each.
Right now, the campaign has reached nearly $800 of its goal. Johnson would like this to be the first shipment of up to five shipments of the year. He said the community has been gracious.
“It’s really neat to see how Wichita, the greater community, will support teachers because they’re teaching every day in the classroom,” he said.
For those who wish to donate, go to www.ProjectTeacher.org. Johnson said people can also donate new supplies to the site. The program also needs volunteers to help run the store.