IN a perfect world, teachers wouldn’t have to think twice about the tools they need in their classroom. They would be provided with those items, healthy snacks, art supplies and more… the items they need to educate our children in a fun, safe and creative way.
In reality, that perfect world does not exist. School budgets are constantly slashed and funding is just not available. More and more, teachers are forced to dig into their own pockets to come up with the basic items they need to get the job done… to educate our children.
On Saturday, July 1st, Impact Thrift Stores will kick off its annual Teacher Appreciation campaign, Impact Thrift’s Summer of Wishes! Teachers will have an opportunity to choose one of 5 wishes: $100 gift card to Becker’s School Supplies, Lakeshore Learning Store, Staples, Wegmans or Impact Thrift Stores. Teachers will be asked to provide an explanation for how they would make an impact at their school if granted their wish.
Also during the promotion, July 1 through September 1, teachers and school staff will be offered a special discount – 15% off their purchase (up to $25) by presenting school id/badge at time of checkout. This discount works just like a coupon.
Teachers can make their wish at any Impact Thrift Store location (Feasterville, Montgomeryville, Norristown and Hatboro) by filling out an entry form by August 15th. The form asks the teacher to select a specific wish from the list. Winners of the gift cards will be selected based on the strength of their nominating statement. One winner will be selected from each store location.
According to Lindsay Varzaly, Impact Thrift’s Community Outreach Liaison, “The teacher appreciation campaign stems from Impact Thrift’s commitment to supporting quality education. We know how important school supplies are to succeed and if we could relieve some of the burden off of schools who are working with a limited budget, we would consider this campaign as a success.”
Impact Thrift provides support to school throughout the year through their ImpactLIVE program. ImpactLIVE is a program which teaches students of all ages how to organize a collection drive, as if it were their very own business. While the Collection Drive is the main activity of the program, there are other important concepts that students learn, such as: how to manage a business, how to be a leader, how to support local charities, how to reduce, re-use and recycle unwanted items, how to strengthen ties to the community…and most importantly, how to help families and children who are in need. ImpactLIVE includes a fun field trip to an Impact Thrift Store or our Donation Processing Center for an orientation, a tour, and the opportunity to participate in creative repurposing projects.
For more information, contact Lindsay Varzaly, lindsay.varzaly@impactthrift.org
