Sustainable Florida Best Practices Awards Program

| 10/1/2007

People	Profit	Planet

Non-Profit Best Practice Award

A gift for Teaching

Every year, on average, teachers spend between $500 to $1,000 of their own money on school supplies for their students and classrooms. Using the old adage “Waste Not – Want Not” as a guide, A Gift for Teaching created a business model that recycles surplus goods from local businesses and puts them in the hands of deserving school children.

A Gift For Teaching focuses on social capital by providing donated resources to teachers and students.

The Orlando-based non-profit has opened two free stores where teachers can shop for essential school supplies like books, backpacks, paper, crayons and glue. But the stores also serve as a clearinghouse for surplus items and merchandise that businesses would normally discard. Rather than clog the local landfill, these items are used by resourceful teachers as educational tools.

In addition to recycling goods and conserving natural resources, A Gift for Teaching has enlisted prisoners to make school supplies from donated paper, fabric and cardboard. Their annual Bright Kids Book Drive recycles gently used books and collects new ones for distribution at its stores.

All counted, A Gift for Teaching has gathered donations from more than 4,600 businesses and individuals and distributed more than $27 million worth of educational supplies.

What can you do?

• Reduce the amount of resources you consume – turn off lights, conserve water, adjust your thermostat.
• Reuse products instead of throwing them away.
• Recycle paper, plastic and metal.
• Donate used goods to local charities – it will become another person’s treasure.
  

Tags: Environment