A Central Florida nonprofit is encouraging residents to pick up extra school supplies to donate to teachers and students in need during Florida’s tax holiday.
The school supply tax holiday continues through August 6.
A Gift for Teaching is getting ready to reopen its free school supply store for teachers on August 1, and is looking for donations of books, clothes, supplies and electronics.
Vice President of Development and Marketing Angela Garcia says teachers at eligible schools in Orange and Osceola counties will, “shop” these donations on a monthly basis throughout the year.
Garcia said hundreds of teachers have signed up to shop the first day the closet opens.
"We'll see about 250 teachers that have appointments to come in, teachers can come in and everything for them is free," said Garcia. "And so they're able to select what they need for their students, for their classroom, really to start the year off right and help the students be successful.”
Garcia said most of these items will go to the schools that demonstrate the most need.
“Any school that has 60%, or more free and reduced lunch, every teacher in that school is eligible to come and shop once a month," said Garcia. "We do serve the other schools as well, just in a different capacity where they send representatives to pick up some items on behalf of their school.”
Teachers can make an appointmentto visit the free supply store in person on the nonprofit’s website, or can sign up for curbside pickup or mobile delivery.
The most popular items are #2 pencils, dry erase markers, notebooks, block erasers, and loose leaf paper.
Learn more about donating here.
Looking to pick up supplies for yourself or your family? Get a daily schedule of school supply giveaways in Central Florida.
