Whataburger sponsored the opening of Feed the Children’s Teacher Store in Oklahoma for the fourth consecutive year, Tues., Aug. 7. As busloads of teachers began to arrive, Whataburger provided breakfast, refreshments and reusable shopping bags to approximately 1,000 teachers from across the state, as well as presented a $15,000 donation to the nonprofit organization to help its efforts to provide much-needed classroom supplies and books to educators.
Feed the Children believes education is the best way to help break the cycle of poverty. Through its store opening, the organization equips educators with the resources they need to ensure a successful start to the new school year as well as help at-risk kids. The much-anticipated opening draws thousands of teachers each year from pre-approved Title I schools, representing 215 Oklahoma school districts, to visit the Teacher Store and shop for critical school supplies at no cost to them.
Teachers were encouraged to fill a bag full of classroom supplies as well as collect an assortment of books for the upcoming school year. Supplies included classroom essentials such as: notebooks, copy paper, glue, pencils, pens and instructional materials.
“We know teachers are really dedicated to the educational needs and well-being of their students,” said Jason Svedberg, director of operations, Whataburger. “School supply costs can quickly add up with teachers spending up to $500 or more out of pocket for their students. With our $15,000 donation to the Teacher Store, Whataburger hopes to provide crucial school supplies to help children succeed in and out of the classroom.”
This year, Whataburger also hosted a statewide social media contest, asking Oklahoma teachers to submit what inspired them to be a teacher. The winning teacher received Whataburger for a Year and their school will receive $1,000. Follow @FeedtheChildrenTeacherStore and @whataburger on Facebook for updates.
Opening remarks featured representatives from Feed the Children and Whataburger, as well as two local teachers to talk about the impact of the free supplies in their classroom. In addition, a resource fair comprised of multiple community partners offered further support for teachers and their students.
“We are always proud to serve Oklahoma’s teachers through our Teacher Store,” said Travis Arnold, president and CEO, Feed the Children. “With the help of our generous partner Whataburger, we can provide teachers and students with the materials they need for classroom success.”
Feed the Children opened its Oklahoma City-based Teacher Store in 2012 to reach as many Pre-K through 12th grade students as possible. It provides resources and supplies to teachers across Oklahoma. During each school year, teachers from Title I schools are eligible to shop in the store for free once a month.
Visit Oklahoma Teacher Store, or the Teacher Store on Facebook to learn more about the 2018 shopping schedule and to determine if your school is eligible to participate.