As the start of the new school year approaches, the social media posts also begin to appear: Teachers need supplies for their students and classrooms and ask the public to help pay for them.
The Education Fund in Miami Lakes helps teachers stock their classrooms by enlisting businesses in South Florida to host supply drives that employees and customers may contribute toward.
“A company’s support will provide students with the basic necessities to succeed in the classroom,” says Jocelyn Salazar, manager of The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Education Materials.
The fund works to improve education for public school students and teachers in Miami-Dade County. Its Ocean Bank Center is an 11,000 square foot warehouse in Medley that supports the district’s 345,000 students and 19,000 teachers. And it’s all free, thanks to the fund and the support of Ocean Bank and the business community.
The fund says that since March 2020, it has provided more than $6 million in materials to families, students, schools and teachers.
Businesses that wish to host a supplies drive through Aug. 26 may contact Salazar at JSalazar@EducationFund.org or call 786-510-1017.
Firms that have committed to host drives include Assurant, Inc.; Valley Bank, Sapoznik Insurance and Keiser University, a fund spokeswoman said.
The wish list includes: Backpacks; Books for grades K-12; Construction paper; Composition books; Copy paper; Crayons (24 count); Dividers; Glue Sticks; Hand Sanitizer and Soap; Highlighters; Index Cards;
Erasers; Large Pink Erasers; Pencils and Pens; Pocket folders; Rulers; Scissors; Tissues and Washable Markers.