Donations benefit A Gift for Teaching, Central Florida’s primary provider of free supplies to teachers for their classrooms and students who need them most

[Orlando, FL] September 01, 2022 – A Gift for Teaching is honored to announce the cumulative results of its “Ready For Back-to-School” campaign, a community giveback campaign powered by three back-to-school initiatives to help local students start the new school year excited and prepared to learn: More than 362,852 physical school supplies and $469,176 was raised by generous businesses, groups, and supporters.

This year, the National Retail Federation released a staggering statistic: Families can plan to spend a new record average of $864 for back-to-school shopping, with 38% planning to cut back in other areas of spending to cover the cost of items as inflation continues to rise. But so many families in Central Florida are already feeling stretched to the limit.

“Tens of thousands of students were arriving at class without all the necessary school supplies on the first day of school,” shares Jane Thompson, President of A Gift for Teaching. “Knowing this, teachers often purchase supplies out of their own pockets to ensure every child in their class has an equal opportunity to start the school year with success. Because of the essential supplies and funds donated to A Gift for Teaching, our students and teachers will feel supported to achieve success together.

The Great Big Backpack Build kicked off the campaign in June with 15,000 brand-new backpacks and supplies funded by community partners like Universal Orlando Foundation, the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Wells Fargo, Valencia College, and many more. Backpacks were hand-packed by more than 240 corporate volunteers in a high-energy, high-impact event to be delivered to more than 130 public schools with the highest need in Orange and Osceola counties.

Starting in July, The Back-to-School Drive, Central Florida’s largest supply drive, brought together more than 65 businesses and groups to collect 122,852+ physical school supplies and raise $171,669+ in donations by the first day of school. The overall Top 5 Supply Drives were Publix Supermarkets, the Walt Disney World Resort, AdventHealth, Todd Miner Law, and Universal Orlando.

The Back-to-School Telethon broadcasted live on WKMG News 6 in August as the final community giveback opportunity. In a 24-hour give-a-thon, more than $832,070 worth of supplies was raised with the inspiration of matching gifts by The Joe & Sarah Galloway Foundation, The Bond Foundation, and Addition Financial. These supplies will help teachers ensure all their students have the supplies they need to start the year with success.

The results of A Gift for Teaching’s “Ready For Back-to-School” campaign provide one-third of the organization’s annual distribution of free educational resources as more than $65,000 worth of supplies are distributed back into the classroom for students every day. Throughout the entire school year, eligible public school teachers have the opportunity to shop for these free supplies at a store, online, and through a mobile unit. Teacher shopping eligibility and information can be found at AGiftForTeaching.org/teachers.

The academic year is only beginning, and A Gift for Teaching still has more work to do. By the second half of the year, 75% of students will have run out of supplies from the start of the school year and their families will not be able to afford replacements. Without the supplies to learn, student achievement, interest in learning, and self-esteem are impacted.

To make a difference for the entire year, consider becoming a member of The Honor Roll. With your commitment to an automatic recurring $25 monthly gift, three classrooms a year can have access to essential supplies that empower teachers and inspire future leaders.