Summer is flying by, and soon it will be time to shop for school supplies for the new school year. As you purchase supplies for your own kids, CEF hopes you’ll consider adding a few extra items to your cart to help local students and teachers through CEF’s Supplies 4 Success campaign.
For the past several years, CEF has collected school supplies each summer to support students whose families cannot afford them and to help teachers stock their classrooms with essentials such as tissues and disinfecting wipes.
This year, CEF took a closer look at its distribution process to create a more intentional approach for getting supplies where they’ll have the greatest impact. We reached out to neighboring school districts to learn how they manage their supply drives—from collection to distribution. Each district had its own approach. Some filled a school bus on a designated day, others relied on Amazon wishlists that shipped directly to a warehouse, and some partnered with community drop-off locations. For distribution, several districts operate teacher “shopping” warehouses, while others deliver supplies directly to schools.
The result is Supplies 4 Success, CEF’s own hybrid approach to collecting and distributing school supplies. Rather than operating on a first-come, first-served basis, supplies will be distributed based on need, using each school’s free and reduced-price meal percentages as a guide. Because Chatham County is geographically spread out, supplies will be delivered directly to school counselors and social workers, who can identify students with the greatest need. CEF also plans to provide every elementary classroom with essential supplies, with any remaining materials prioritized for beginning teachers. Monetary donations will help replenish supplies throughout the school year and support middle and high school classroom needs.
To make distribution more efficient, volunteers are assembling pre-packaged kits of core classroom materials. Each kit contains multiples of high-demand items such as glue sticks, pencils, markers, crayons, and notebooks. Schools with greater need will receive more kits.
There are several easy ways to help. Donate new school supplies by shopping from our supply list or Amazon wishlist, drop off items at one of our community collection bins, or make a financial gift to help us purchase the supplies teachers and students need most.
Visit chathameducationfoundation.org/supplies to find:
- A list of needed school supplies
- A link to our Amazon wishlist
- Community drop-off locations
- A secure online donation form
Every notebook, box of crayons, and package of pencils makes a difference. With your support, Supplies 4 Success will help ensure that students across Chatham County have the tools they need to succeed—and that teachers can focus on teaching instead of purchasing classroom supplies with their own money.
P.S. We’ll also be collecting school supplies at MOSAIC’s Blast From the Past Music Series featuring Liquid Pleasure on August 21. Bring a donation, enjoy a fun evening of music, and help local students start the school year strong. Tickets are free, but must be purchased in advance. Get them here.
