SPOTLIGHT ON A GIFT FOR TEACHING:

A Letter from Our Foundation President, William J. Chatlos

February 2, 2006

Why should school teachers in the world's richest nation have to spend their own money for children's most basic school supplies, like pencils or crayons?

Two years after this innovative organization was launched, we funded an intriguing proposal to buy school supplies for A Gift for Teaching’s Free Store, where classroom teachers can ‘shop’ for needed school supplies without spending their own money. My sister, Michele Chatlos Roach, has become a passionate advocate of A Gift for Teaching, and she shares each new program with the rest of us.

A Gift for Teaching was created in 1998 by Gary Landwirth to bridge the gap between needy students and surplus office supplies from local businesses, A Gift For Teaching has provided more than $17 million worth of school supplies to public school students and teachers in the Central Florida area. This nonprofit organization is funded solely through the community, including corporations, foundations, individuals, and fund-raisers.

In Central Florida, schools budget only a nickel a day for each student’s school supplies, which isn't enough. Many students can't buy what they need, since almost half the students can’t afford lunch, much less school supplies. To make up for these shortfalls, teachers spend an average of $500 of their own money to help their students overcome these obstacles to successful learning. “President Gary Landwirth first had the idea for a free store for teachers when he heard the astonishing fact that many teachers spend money out of their own pockets to provide basic supplies to their classrooms,” says the organization’s website. “Realizing that businesses routinely discarded large volumes of valuable resources, Landwirth recognized that there was a great opportunity to fill in the gap.”

Landwirth’s idea has spread, and according to the website, A Gift for Teaching is “now a member of the School, Home, & Office Products Association (SHOPA) Foundation Kids in Need Resource Center Network.” Linking forces with almost two dozen free stores nationwide, “this network helps the stores collaborate to share product, ideas, and other resources that assist in helping students in need through a variety of program efforts.”

A Gift for Teaching helps the community give twice, because local businesses can recycle their excess supplies and merchandise, and teachers can put these greatly needed products to use in their classrooms in imaginative ways, without further draining their own pocketbooks. Everyone – businesses, teachers, and students – wins.

When you choose to support A Gift for Teaching, you’re not alone. An impressive list of donors includes organizations such as Bank of America, Universal Orlando, and Cirque de Soleil. President Gary Landwirth takes such support seriously, explaining that A Gift for Teaching is “a good steward of the community’s generosity, ensuring that 96 percent of all donations received are used for program-related expenses.” Nevertheless, the rapidly growing population of students means that the demand for educational tools and supplies continues to outpace the organization’s resources.

Do you have a spare pack of pencils or paper or art supplies? Can you spare a little time or a few dollars? You can help A Gift for Teaching help schoolchildren and teachers by donating your time, dollars, or products. Volunteers operate the Free Store, assisting teachers and stocking merchandise. Each dollar donated allows teachers to take $10 worth of supplies back to the classroom. Individuals can drop off their supplies, or they or host a supply drive in their office, neighborhood, or school with an easy-to-use kit of posters and labels.

Learn more about A Gift for Teaching online at http://www.agiftforteaching.org or by calling them at (407) 345-0515.

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