WakeEd Partnership hosts Tools4Schools event for teachers

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- If you visit a YMCA in Wake County over the next couple of weeks, it's likely you'll see one of a donation bin at the entrance. The Wake Education Partnership is hosting a supply drive to help stock the shelves at their Tools4Schools free supply store for teachers.

"It's heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. One of the most common things I hear is 'oh my gosh This is just like Christmas!' I've been working for 30 years and I've never had to go to a job where I had to bring my own copy paper, where I had to bring my own staples, where I had to bring my own file folder-it's an insult," said Keith Poston, WakeEd Partnership president.

Every year Wake County teachers spend more than $900 of their own money for classroom supplies for their students and it's likely that cost will increase this year. A recent survey just found parents will spend about 10 percent less on school supplies this year compared to last year as they deal with inflation.

In January 2022, the WakeEd partnership opened the tools4schools supply store. Wake county teachers are able to shop for supplies for free. They've already given away more than $340,000 in supplies and with teachers heading back to the classroom, they need to restock. This community wide supply drive will help them do that.

"We wish they had everything they needed. The state should step up and fully fund our schools. They should pay our teachers what they deserve. In the meantime we're going to do what we can to help them because at the end of the day it's about the children,"Poston said.

Teachers will be able to start shopping at the free supply store on August 1st. You can also donate here.