COCOA, FL – December 9, 2015 – The Kids In Need Foundation, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and under-funded teachers, announced it has added Supply Zone for Teachers in Cocoa, FL to its national network of teacher free stores as a Junior Affiliate.
“We are very excited about becoming a Junior Affiliate of The Kids in Need Foundation,” said Elizabeth Schreiber, Manager of Supply Zone for Teachers, a service of Brevard Schools Foundation. “This opportunity will provide much needed resources for children in our community who otherwise would not have access to these supplies.”
Effective January 1, 2016, the Kids In Need National Network will consist of 37 teacher free store locations working together to distribute free school supplies to students most in need across the U.S.A. Inclusion in the network is by evaluation only and is based on a center’s sustainability, capacity, and overall economic need of students in that area. Affiliates and Junior Affiliates of the Kids In Need National Network serve schools in their local areas where high percentages of students are enrolled in the federal free and reduced lunch program and operate similar to a retail store where any teacher would go to buy supplies for their students or classrooms. The difference is that there is no charge for any of the school supplies or teaching aides taken from the shelves. In addition to the Network, the Foundation also distributes product directly through an extensive list of high-need schools throughout the country, collectively providing classroom supplies to more than 4 million students and 120,000 teachers annually.
“Supply Zone for Teachers is truly making an impact in their community,” said Dave Smith, executive director of the Kids In Need Foundation. “Their service model aligns with the Kids In Need mission, and we are proud to be able to help them serve students most in need.”
About Brevard Schools Foundation and Supply Zone for Teachers
The Supply Zone for Teachers, a service of Brevard Schools Foundation, is a resource center that provides free school supplies to local teachers and students at high-poverty schools. This “store” is stocked entirely through donations and is located at Clearlake Education Center in Cocoa, Florida. Brevard Schools Foundation opened the Supply Zone in 2014. Established in 1987, the Brevard Schools Foundation is a direct-support, 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization which matches community resources with the needs of schools. Support may be in the form of financial contributions or in-kind gifts of goods or services. The Foundation was recently ranked 3rd in the nation for supporting public education and has provided more than $40 million in benefit to Brevard Public Schools. For more information, please visit www.brevardschoolsfoundation.org.
About the Kids In Need Foundation
The Kids In Need Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1995. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need. Its National Network of Resource Centers currently includes 35 facilities where teachers from low-income schools go to obtain free school supplies for their students. School supply giveaways in communities not served by Resource Centers are accommodated through the School Ready Supplies program, and students who have gone through natural disasters are helped to get back to their normal routines with new backpacks and supplies through the Second Responder program. In addition, two Teacher Grant programs award preK-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning experiences for students. The Kids In Need Foundation has distributed more than $668 million in school supplies since its founding, directly benefiting 4.2 million students and more than 120,000 teachers annually, and has awarded $1.6 million in grants to teachers. Kids In Need has earned the Gold GuideStar Exchange Seal, demonstrating its commitment to transparency, and has been given a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, indicating that it operates in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most other charities in America. For more information, visit www.kinf.org. Join Kids In Need Foundation on Twitter at twitter.com/kidsinneed and Facebook at facebook.com/kidsinneed.