COCOA, FL— The Supply Zone for Teachers, a service of Brevard Schools Foundation (BSF), is expanding its reach to impact more schools, teachers, and students in Brevard Public Schools. The Supply Zone added 13 high-poverty schools to its service area, increasing the number of schools served from 33 to 46—the most schools added in one year.
Teachers shopping at The Supply Zone
The Supply Zone for Teachers operates like a regular store, except all the products on the shelves are free to teachers in the schools it serves. These supplies help meet the needs of the most economically vulnerable students in Brevard County.
Nearly 57% of these children live on the brink of poverty, and many come to school with basic supplies. The Supply Zone is a resource center that provides free school and hygiene supplies for teachers at schools in the highest poverty schools.
Opening in 2014, The Supply Zone served 18 schools and provided more than $250,000 in free supplies during its first year of operation. In the next 8 years, another 15 schools were added to the scope of service. Breaking the $1 million dollar donation mark for donated supplies in 2017, The Supply Zone donations to date reach nearly $8 million.
This year The Supply Zone provided over 1,000 shopping opportunities for nearly 800 teachers providing $350,000 in supplies. The center served 33 schools with enrollment over 14,600 students. In addition, the Students in Transition leads at all 84 Brevard Public Schools can receive school supplies and hygiene products from The Supply Zone for the over 1,500 students facing homelessness or housing insecurity.
Pam Lyons, Supply Zone Coordinator, with volunteers from Georgianna Church dropping off hygiene supplies
“I have the opportunity to meet with many generous donors and community members,” said Pam Lyons, Supply Zone coordinator, “including those on limited income who donate small bags of supplies to community groups that sponsor hygiene drives and collect nearly 10,000 items. With our volunteer staff, I have the privilege to take that generosity to the teachers whose students struggle with no notebooks and pencils or backpack to carry supplies, to those with students who lack basic hygiene supplies like toothbrushes or deodorant.”
Generosity of the community, through community supply drives and donations, supplements the support from the Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) to provide supplies for distribution. Program support through these donors as well organizations like the AMBAL Foundation, RSM US Foundation, Publix Charities and more can be leveraged with funds from the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program (SDEFMG) on a dollar-for-dollar basis to allow Brevard Schools Foundation to expand services.
The Supply Zone for Teachers added 13 Brevard Public Schools to the list of school serviced. An additional 7,900 students benefit from the supplies available through the Supply Zone.
Janice Kershaw, Brevard Schools Foundation President/CEO welcomes guests to the Supply Zone Expansion event
Janice Kershaw, President and CEO of Brevard Schools Foundation shared, “We are excited to share the news of our Supply Zone expansion to now serve over half the schools in the district. Without the support of our donors, the Kids in Need Foundation (KINF), and our legislative delegation, this expansion would not be possible. We know there are students across our district struggling and we look forward to continuing to grow and expand our services so that all schools will be served.”
Here’s our Fact Sheet from the day: Supply Zone Expansion Fact Sheet
Check out the Photo Gallery on FLORIDA TODAY, thanks to Tim Shortt.