GREENSBORO, N.C. — The start of school is about a month away, which means teachers are already getting ready to go back to the classroom.
The Teacher Supply Warehouse in Guilford County officially reopens for the school year Tuesday.
It allows Guilford County Schools teachers to stock up on new, brand-name supplies, as well as gently used items like games, books, office supplies, and craft materials at no cost.
It's helping cut the cost for teachers because these small items can add up.
Emmy Biaggi is a first-grade teacher for Guilford County Schools and it's her second year using the teacher supply warehouse.
"Index cards, glue sticks, pencils, notebooks, I like those clipboards and some dry-erase markers," said Biaggi. "I'm excited because there are so many things that we need at the beginning of the school year, so it's just a great way to stock up on supplies."
Biaggi said this provides teachers the opportunity to save some money while ensuring their classrooms are ready for the school year.
All of these supplies are donated by the community and it allows the Guilford Education Alliance to keep it going.
Guilford Education Alliance Vice President, Karen Hornfeck said on average, teachers spend hundreds of dollars on school supplies every year.
"Teachers are excited and thrilled to be able to find all the supplies that they need here and that they're all free," she said. "We know that the average teacher spends between $650 and $1,000 of their own money every year on school supplies and I think that number is low, so this is a way that our community can come together and support them and just show that we value what they do."
She said the cost of the supplies continues to rise, since the pandemic.
"Costs have gone up since COVID and this continues to be a way that we can just support teachers," said Hornfeck.
Teachers can stock up on new and gently used items at no cost.
If you want to help your local teachers, you can donate money because the group can buy supplies at wholesale cost, you can grab an extra bag of supplies when you're out shopping and they take gently used items, so if you're cleaning out your closets look at bringing in games and books that your kids no longer use.
This warehouse is open until April of next year.
Between July and September over 1500 GCS educators stop in to get supplies and it's providing all teachers the opportunity to put their best foot forward for the kids this coming school year.
"I just appreciate that it's, you know, the community that's pitching in to help teachers and so definitely makes us feel, you know, appreciated and that they understand that we have a lot of expenses and you know, this kind of offset says expenses," said Biaggi.
The Warehouse gratefully accepts donations of new and gently used items Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For any new GCS teachers, because they especially bear a financial burden as they work to set up their classrooms, GCS and GEA have partnered together to offer a special new teacher shopping day on August 4th. Over 150 new GCS educators will shop that day, stocking up on not only supplies but also a free boxed lunch.
GCS teachers can sign up to shop on GEA's website, www.GEANC.org.
You can also click that link for a full list of the most needed items to donate and when and where you can help.
"This is just an easy way for us to make sure that teachers and students in Guilford County have everything they need to have a great year," said Hornfeck.