WUNC – Inside a warehouse owned by Durham Public Schools, Eunice O'Neal Sanders and Euba McKoy lead volunteers sorting donations of pencils, crayons, paper, and art supplies.
Newly hired teachers will soon browse the warehouse to take what they need to set up their classrooms for the upcoming school year. Nearly every teacher in the district receives supplies from the warehouse, often delivered to their classrooms.
As a retired DPS teacher and administrator, Sanders knows what it's like to buy items for some students who arrive for a new school year without even a backpack or pencils.
"We want to make sure when they get to school, they can unpack all that baggage that they bring in and just focus on school, because we're going to give them what they need," Sanders said.
Sanders manages Crayons2Calculators, the longest running free classroom supply program in the Triangle. The model has spread to other counties. Educators in Wake, Durham and Chapel Hill rely on these school supplies donated by businesses, organizations and individuals.
Here's how you can give to programs in your area:
The following has been shortened, see the full story on WUNC.org:
Every August, just as the summer sun begins to soften and back-to-school signs start appearing in store windows, something extraordinary happens across Wake, Durham, and Chapel Hill-Carrboro: entire communities come together for one simple mission, supporting teachers**.
In Wake County, that support takes shape inside the Tools4Schools supply store—a free resource where public school teachers can “shop” for classroom essentials without spending a dime. Last school year alone, over 5,000 teachers walked out of Tools4Schools with roughly $150 in retail-value supplies each. That’s paper, pencils, folders, glue, markers, and more—items many were otherwise purchasing out of their own pockets.
“Teachers were spending nearly $1,000 a year on supplies,” said Keith Poston, President of WakeEd Partnership, the nonprofit behind the drive. “That just seemed crazy to us. They shouldn’t have to do that.”
Through a generous network of support from partners like Staples, the YMCA, and SAS, Tools4Schools has become a vital resource. Donations are accepted at their supply store, all Staples and YMCA locations in Wake County, and many more public drop-off sites. For those who prefer to give online, an Amazon wishlist and monetary donations are just a click away—and this year, every dollar donated by September 30 will be matched by the 4 Others Foundation.
But Wake isn’t alone.
In Durham, a yellow school bus serves as the face of their campaign: “Fill That Bus!” It's a cheerful slogan with a serious purpose. Donations power the Crayons2Calculators warehouse, where nearly every teacher in Durham Public Schools can request supplies year-round. Last year, 96% of teachers received free materials, saving up to $419 each and benefiting more than 31,000 students.
Donations can be dropped off at the warehouse on Bacon Street, or at community events all across the city. And thanks to the DPS Foundation—a nonprofit that recently joined forces with Crayons2Calculators—donations are streamlined and deeply impactful.
Meanwhile, in Chapel Hill-Carrboro, the “Welcome Back: Annual Teacher Supply Store” is already in full swing. With more than 1,200 educators serving over 11,000 students, the community knows the stakes are high. Last year alone, teachers received over $65,000 in supplies and gift cards.
Madeline Blobe, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation, put it simply:
“It’s a very tangible, outward expression of our gratitude to teachers. Especially now, with budget cuts, this support is more important than ever.”
The teacher supply store is backed by the foundation and the **East Chapel Hill Rotary Club**, which raises 85% of the funds each year. Donations can be dropped off at the Lincoln Center Offices or during the “Stuff the Bus” event at the local Staples on Franklin Street.
Whether you donate a pack of crayons or rally your company for a supply drive, each gesture ripples into a classroom—fueling creativity, focus, and learning for thousands of students.
Because behind every notebook or dry erase marker is a teacher who doesn’t have to choose between paying bills and buying pencils.
And that’s a future we can all help write.
