Program helps teachers provide more than classroom education

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Every school year teachers in Massachusetts and across the country use their own money to pay for items in their classrooms and for students not supplied by school districts.

In Massachusetts, members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) have a union program that provides funding for the purchase of clothing and other items for students experiencing financial hardships.

The MTA’s Massachusetts Child program offers grants to MTA members helping students in preK-12 public schools. During the 2023-24 school year educators from more than 40 districts used the grants to purchase more than $55,000 in goods, making sure that students had proper clothing, especially during the winter months, to address food insecurities and to make sure that students had items they needed to succeed in vocational programs.

The nonprofit charitable program was created in 1996 as a way for teachers to support students in need with clothing, school supplies, eyeglasses and other items that are not provided by schools, but which are necessary for children’s educational success.

The Mass Child Board of Directors, which is made up of current and retired educators, issued this statement:

“Every day, educators are doing their best to help children grow and reach their potential. And for some children, reaching that potential is hampered because they lack the resources to have basic items such as a backpack, or eyeglasses or a warm winter coat. We are proud of the teachers, paraprofessionals, nurses, librarians, counselors and other school staff who take notice of their students’ needs and provide those children with the items that can boost their self-esteem and help them engage more fully in their schoolwork.”

Mass Child, which is supported entirely through donations, provides every local MTA preK-12 association with a minimum amount of $1,000, or up to $2 per member for local unions with more than 500 members, to purchase items for students.

Additionally, a donation from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts allowed Mass Child to create a Wellness Grant for the purchase of items such as athletic gear and exercise equipment, as well as to assist students participating in arts and sciences projects. Mass Child also provides grants for a reading program and assists with fees for extracurricular, school-based activities.

The following western Massachusetts school districts received Mass Child grants in the 2023-24 school year: Amherst-Pelham, Berkshire Hills, Central Berkshire Regional, Chicopee, Greenfield, Hampshire Regional, Lee, Pathfinder Regional, Pittsfield, Ware, Westfield, and Westhampton.

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