CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The number of kids showing up to school without basic supplies is growing at an alarming rate across the Charlotte area.
Oftentimes, this means the average teacher could spend between $500 and $1,000 of their own money buying classroom school supplies.
Classroom Central is a nonprofit working to make sure teachers don’t break the bank helping kids in need. The nonprofit, which has been around for two decades, says the number of kids needing help has skyrocketed in the last two years.
One of those schools feeling the positive impact of Classroom Central is Croft Community School in Mecklenburg County. At that school, 80% of students fall below the poverty line.
For first-grade teacher Vanessa Smith, most of her students are part of the free and reduced lunch program. This means they fall below the poverty line.
"It means sending kids home and expecting them to do homework, that may not be their first priority," Smith said, "if they need food, clothes, things like that, that’s top priority. It's not, 'I need to read a book.' It's, 'What are my basic needs and how do I meet them first?'"
Smith said that can impact how her students learn. Like most teachers, Smith does her best to help her students.
"Some kids have backpacks and crayons and pencils when they come in," she said. "Then some students have absolutely nothing."
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However thanks to Classroom Central, there is a lot of joy in Smith’s classroom. The fifth-year teacher relies on Classroom Central to get free supplies for her students.
"Classroom Central is essential. I taught in New Jersey before coming down here and we didn’t have anything like [Classroom Central]. So everything you buy comes out of your pocket," she explained. "So if a kid only brings two pencils... that means you need to get them the other pencils they need."
Classroom Central’s executive director, Karen Calder, said there are more kids in need than ever before.
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A school qualifies for help if they have 50% or more students on the free and reduced lunch program.
"We started with 36 schools in 2002," Calder explained. "Fast forward 22 years later, we're up to 248 schools in six districts and that’s an increase of 26% in the last two years alone."
In the classroom, Smith sees the need firsthand every day. That’s why she is grateful for the help of Classroom Central.
"Everything you truly need but it doesn’t come out of our pocket," the young teacher said while summing up the impact of the help. "Magical is not the right word. It’s something beyond. It’s something that alleviates the stress and pressures."
Classroom Central is always looking for volunteers, donated supplies or cash donations. If you'd like to help, check out: classroomcentral.org.
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