IndyBar: Clean Out Supply Closets and Stock the Schools

With over half of the children in Marion County unable to afford school lunch, it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are little funds available for these students to purchase the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom. That’s why the Indianapolis legal community is once again “Stocking the Schools” before the buses roll out for a new year.

Spearheaded by the Indianapolis Bar Association Professionalism Committee, Indy law firms and agencies are encouraged to collect new and gently used school supplies to be donated to local non-profit Teachers’ Treasures, which connects teachers with free supplies they can use to fill their classrooms and provide supplies for their students. This school supply drive will culminate in a public drop-off site on the south side of Monument Circle Wednesday, July 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Professionalism Committee members help load donations during the 2014 Stock the Schools collection day on Monument Circle.

“For the third year in a row, the Indianapolis legal community is continuing to help teachers help children, and we’re doing it in a very public way on the Circle in order to showcase the efforts of IndyBar members serving our community,” says Chuck Schmal, chair of the Professionalism Committee.

Representatives from firms and agencies are being recruited to help spread the word about the program in their office, to receive empty boxes for the collection and to arrange for the delivery of the supplies to Monument Circle. Those interested in representing their office should contact Courtney Figg at [email protected]. Donations can also be dropped in donation boxes at the IndyBar office.

For a list of items needed by Teachers’ Treasures, visit teacherstreasures.org/how-to-help/donate-supplies. Individuals or organizations interested in contributing are encouraged to collect any of the items on this list, whether purchased new, or donated from old or unneeded personal or business supplies. 

New for this year, Teacher’s Treasures will be judging the quality and quantity of the donations, with special recognition given to those individuals or organizations that provide the best donations, with special emphasis on reams of paper, file folders, hanging folders and even old promotional items with logos!

Working with more than 250 schools to benefit over 100,000 Marion County school children, Teacher’s Treasures has been operating as a free school supply store since 2000. Teachers “shop” once each month for the items their students need to complete homework and class assignments. By using items donated by businesses and individuals, Teacher’s Treasures provides a unique way to transfer unneeded surplus items to teachers and children in need.•