Free Store for Teachers Good News from 2020

Continued Expansion

In a few short years, the Schoolhouse Supplies Free Store for Teachers has expanded from serving one school district: Portland Public Schools (PPS), Oregon’s largest, to serving all of Portland’s school districts serving high numbers of under-resourced students. This includes PPS, David Douglas, Parkrose and Reynolds School Districts and this school year, in spite of the challenges, we expanded to include our friend and neighbor the Centennial School District.

Recalibrated Program Delivery

This fall, Schoolhouse Supplies has implemented a new process that reflects public guidance for COVID safety while ensuring that teachers and students continue to have access to free school supplies. Instead of shopping in the Free Store, teachers order classroom kits that are packed by Schoolhouse Supplies volunteers. On their assigned day, teachers or someone on their behalf pick-up their supplies.

Working with school offices, the Free Store is “stocking the supply closet” at our partner schools to allow office staff to respond to immediate teacher and student needs.

Most of these supplies were distributed to students who are using them to complete their schoolwork and class projects at home. And some supplies are on the teacher’s desk and in use to support daily instruction.