OKC Public Schools Get $1 Million In Donation Of School Supplies

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools announced a landmark achievement, surpassing $1 million in donation since being founded a few years ago.

The foundation eased some of the extra financial stress on OCPS teachers by providing them with everything from markers to notebooks, which some families simply cannot afford.

"Our children come with very few supplies sometimes and so we need to use our own money to get those supplies," said Angie Churchman, a Kindergarten teacher in Oklahoma City.

The foundation's president said more than 30,000 students in the district live at or below the poverty line, so teachers often pay for the kids' supplies out of their own paychecks.

So the Teachers Warehouse, part of the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, offers free school supplies for teachers every month.

"This is the ability for us to help Oklahoma City teachers to self-select those students in their class that they know that needs the products," said Lori Dickinson, president of the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. "It's not just paper for our teachers that we're giving them. We're giving them encouragement. We're telling them that they matter to us, that their job is important and same thing with the crayons and stuff and the message to the kids is that we want you to be successful, we want you to have the same opportunities."

Volunteers at the Teachers Warehouse see first-hand just how much of an impact they have on teachers when they come to pick up their orders when the teachers pick up their orders. Churchman said the smallest bit of help makes a huge impact,

"There's other supplies we get from them like hand sanitizer, tissues, folders. All those things that people don't really think about that we need to make sure the classroom is clean and the kids stay well so they can come to school," Dickinson said.

Learn more about the Teachers Warehouse and how you can get involved