A Gift For Teaching

Is an organization in Florida that is making a substantial difference for teachers and their students in need. They accomplish this by transferring their community’s surplus materials and resources free to teachers for their students who cannot afford to buy needed school supplies.

More than half the students in Central Florida can’t afford lunch let alone school supplies. In many cases, teachers spend between $500-$1,000 of their own money to buy supplies for students and classrooms each year.

A Gift For Teaching’s concept is simple, but so practical: local businesses take unwanted supplies or surplus merchandise that would otherwise get thrown away and donate it for distribution through the Free Stores for teachers. More than 8,673 teachers from Central Florida’s 324 public schools can then “shop” for free to make sure the more than 155,051 students in the community have what they need to learn.

A Gift For Teaching’s approach to getting supplies to teachers is also environmentally sound. In 2007 and 2010, A Gift For Teaching was recognized by the Florida Council of Sustainability as the Most Sustainable Non-Profit in Florida. Since inception, A Gift For Teaching has diverted 4,070 tons of waste from landfills.

For every $1 received at A Gift For Teaching, $10 worth of supplies goes back to the classroom. Free Store product donations including basic supplies such as pencils, crayons, glue, backpacks and books are necessary educational tools for a student’s success, but additional product donations such as new toys, videos, stuffed animals and art supplies are also essential classroom tools for teachers and an easy way for businesses to give back while recycling unwanted, yet useable materials.

Since 1998, this organization provided needed school supplies valued at $52,546,897.08.

For more information about A Gift for Teaching go to www.agiftforteaching.org

Questions? Contact:

Kendra@agiftforteaching.org

6501 Magic Way, Bldg. 400C

Orlando, FL 32809