PASCO COUNTY, Fla. -- An effort to rally around teachers by helping buy supplies is spreading into other school districts.
Hillsborough County community members first launched an ‘Adopt-a-Teacher’ program through social media.It quickly gained thousands of followers.
“The real joy that comes from this is literally just seeing teachers blown away by the helpfulness from people they don’t even know,” said Brooke Elkins.
When parents in Pasco County saw it, they decided to start their own.
“We want our teachers protected and we want our students protected,” said parent Alicia Willis.
Teachers can create Amazon wish lists and share them with the Facebook group. Community members and businesses can then step in to purchase their supply lists.
“It’s really important that we’re able to provide PPE and other protective equipment. I know it’s hard for some of these teachers to purchase all these extra things, on top of possibly school supplies and anything else they may be facing this year,” said Willis.
Organizers say so far, more than 1,000 teachers have posted.
“They’re trying to do things individually because students will also not be sharing as well this year. So they’re having to adapt their classroom supplies for the not sharing of the classroom supplies,” said Pasco County parent Lara Applegarth, who is a teacher in Hillsborough County herself.
The goal is to make the classroom a little brighter this year.