SUFFOLK, Va. — A free supply store for Suffolk educators is relocating to a larger space, giving teachers more time and room to shop for classroom materials at no cost.
The Teacher Supply Store, a partnership between the Suffolk Education Foundation and Suffolk Public Schools, helps local educators get the supplies they need for free, from pencils and staples to copy paper and organizational materials.
Lisa McNamara, the store's facilitator, said the resource addresses a real financial burden on teachers.
"Most teachers spend about 500 dollars a year out of their own pocket for supplies for their students that maybe an under privileged student or maybe child just forgot something that day," McNamara said.
According to the National Education Association, educators on average spend anywhere between five hundred and nine hundred of their own money on school supplies.
On opening day, teachers will start with 25 credits they can use on supplies. The store will be open Thursdays from 2:30 to 6 p.m.
The Suffolk Education Foundation board president, Patrick Belcher, said the credit system is designed to give educators regular access to what they need.
"Each teacher is given credits, and they can come and shop with those credits up to a point and they can come shop once a month," the SEF president said.
The store has a new home on the third floor of Suffolk Christian Church in downtown Suffolk. The church's pastor said the partnership felt like a natural fit.
"Suffolk Christian has a lot of educators a lot of retired educators we saw this opportunity and felt that this is just a Godsend," the pastor said.
Checking out is handled through a Chromebook with a short five-question process.
"Chromebook just like I said has 5 questions who you are what school you're with and making sure that it's your first visit this month and then the last question is did you not see something that you're looking for what is it," McNamara said.
The store's official ribbon cutting is September 3rd at 1 p.m., with educators able to shop starting at 2:30.
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