For the fifth consecutive year, Whataburger sponsored the opening of Feed the Children’s Teacher Store in Oklahoma City, Tues., Aug. 6, at Feed the Children’s corporate headquarters. Whataburger committed $15,000 to support thousands of teachers and students throughout the new school year. The company’s donation helps provide school supplies and books for Oklahoma teachers and students.
At the much-anticipated opening day for the 2019-20 school year, Whataburger helped kick-off the festivities by providing breakfast, refreshments and reusable shopping bags to more than 1,000 teachers from across the state, as well as free Whataburger-for-a-Year for four teachers who were present for the opening day celebration. In addition to Whataburger’s sponsorship, Ashely Young from Metro First Realty West located in Yukon, donated $1,500 to support the Teacher Store opening day.
When teachers from across the state arrived at the event, they were encouraged to fill a bag full of classroom supplies as well as collect an assortment of books for the upcoming school year. Throughout each school year, Feed the Children provides donated school essentials such as notebooks, copy paper, glue, pencils, pens and instructional materials. Many teachers even walked away with bigger items such as printers, wipe boards and chairs for their classroom.
With one in four Oklahoma children struggling with hunger every day, teachers also had an opportunity to check out the new pantry that is available in the Teacher Store. The pantry is stocked with various food and snack items to help teachers combat student hunger in the classroom. Teachers were also provided with information to help them identify hunger in their classrooms as well as resources to take action to address it.
“We know that school supply costs can add up quickly for teachers and parents alike,” said Jason Svedberg, director of operations, Whataburger. “Many teachers pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket for their students’ educational supplies every year. Whataburger hopes our donation will provide them the much-needed relief they deserve. We take pride in helping Oklahoma students succeed in and out of the classroom.”
Ahead of the grand re-opening, Whataburger hosted a statewide Facebook promotion from July 29 to Aug. 2, asking Oklahoma teachers to talk about their most memorable moment while being a teacher. The winning teacher received Whataburger swag, Whataburger-for-a-Year and a $1,000 donation to their school.
Feed the Children believes education is one of the best ways to help children escape the cycle of poverty. Through its education initiatives in the U.S., Feed the Children seeks to reduce barriers for at-risk children and promote school completion by increasing access to educational resources. The annual opening draws thousands of teachers each year, representing more than 229 Oklahoma school districts, to visit the Teacher Store and shop for critical school supplies and books at no cost to them.
Opening remarks featured representatives from Feed the Children and Whataburger, as well as Putnam City and Muskogee School district educators whose students directly benefit from the products provided at the Teacher Store.
“It’s an honor to serve Oklahoma’s hard- working educators every year through our Teacher Store,” said Travis Arnold, president and CEO, Feed the Children. “Whataburger has been a generous partner in our focus to help provide high-quality educational tools. We know that when we combine our efforts, we will have a greater impact on the lives of the students who need us most—right here in Oklahoma.”
Feed the Children opened its Oklahoma City-based Teacher Store in 2012 to reach as many Pre-K through 12th grade students as possible. In fiscal year 2018, it hosted more than 6,544 visits from teachers across Oklahoma. During each school year after the store’s opening, educators from Title I schools are eligible to shop in the store for free supplies once a month.
Visit Oklahoma Teacher Store, or the Teacher Store on Facebook to learn more about the 2019-20 shopping schedule and to determine what schools are eligible to participate.