Teachers find safety net for students who come to class without proper supplies

As parents scrambled the last few weeks to check items off their child's school supplies list, many struggled financially to do so.

Inflation caused the prices of school supplies to spike by almost 24% since 2021, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When it's all said and done, on average, parents will spend nearly $900 before that first bell of the school year even rings. However, not all students will show up on day one with the supplies or clothing they need.

Educators will help fill in the gaps, spending anywhere from $5 to $750 of their own money. Out-of-pocket classroom expenses are greatest during the back-to-school period but continue to add up throughout the year.

I'm following through with a local nonprofit that is easing the financial burden for educators.

A combination of a new, larger space and continued community support is arming students with the tools they need to succeed on day one.

"Teaching is a job from the heart. It's a vocation. We don't make tons of money," Vermary Reyes said.

The funds may be short every year, but teachers like Reyes have continually found a way to come up with the cash to ensure their classrooms are stocked with supplies for students who show up without them.

"I have all the materials laid out, and I have the children just go and pick, you know, whatever it is that they need, I'll be like there's some crayons, go ahead and get some crayons," Reyes said.

In her 20 years of teaching, Reyes said she's spent about $2,000 of her own money to make sure her students have the tools to succeed.

“It helps. They feel included; they feel part of the group. It's not like oh, I don't have my materials,” Reyes said.

The amount she spends now is significantly reduced thanks to the free store at Shoes and Coats for Kids. The non-profit relocated to a larger space inside the Greater Cleveland Food Bank building.

"It’s a brighter, just more satisfying space to be in,” Carolyn Sekerak from Shoes and Coats for Kids said.

The expansion here couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Demand is really high,” Sekerak said.

Inflation puts the pinch on parents as they face the challenge of choosing between paying necessities like utility bills and buying those back-to-school essentials.

“The new outfit and school supplies is going to be the last thing because they do rely on the schools to provide that,” said Sekerak, “So that’s where we come in.”

Shoes and Coats for Kids is expanding its distribution partner network in areas where the need has increased.

“That’s one of the ways we’re addressing trying to get more items into the hands of the students who need it,” Sekerak said.

Reyes is grateful for those in our community who donate items and money to make all this possible.

She told me that she feels so good when she walks out of Shoes and Coats for Kids with a full cart.

“I feel great because I know that my kids have what they need," Reyes said.

Teachers, on average, get more than $1,100 worth of products every time they shop, and they can stop by multiple times a year. To access the store, 60% or more of the students at their school must qualify for free or reduced lunch.