Hundreds of North Texas volunteers will spend Friday morning preparing classrooms and supporting teachers as part of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ annual Stock the School initiative. The volunteer effort will bring community members and corporate partners to two Dallas ISD campuses to orga nize supplies, refresh learning spaces and help ensure students and teachers are ready for the start of the school year. Volunteers will work at Eladio R. Martinez Learning Center in West Dallas and Clara Oliver Elementary School in South Dallas from 9 a.m. to noon. Projects include stocking classroom supplies, organizing instructional materials, assembling student resources and improving shared learning spaces. “We know that Texas teachers spend almost $1,400 a year out of their own pockets on things like classroom supplies and materials and equipment,” said Susan Hoff, chief impact officer for United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “[We want] to help make sure those teachers have the resources in the classroom without having to dip into their pockets so much. And so they feel ready, they feel excited. And, you know, bottom line that the kids feel ready, welcomed, and eager to succeed this school year.” The amount Texas teachers spend exceeds the national average of about $900. Hoff said financial pressures are affecting both families and educators as they prepare for the new school year. “This is a challenging year. Many years are challenging years,” she said. “Inflation is high, the cost of groceries is high, gas prices are high. So that means that not only are the families struggling to get their kids ready for school, but teachers are too. You can only stretch a paycheck so far.” She said volunteer support and donated resources can help bridge the gap and ease some of the burden on teachers. “With United Way being able to step in with our volunteers and our resources to come in and help bridge that gap makes a tremendous difference for teachers, for kids, for schools, and really for our entire community,” Hoff said. At the Martinez Learning Center, volunteer teams from Texas Instruments and Vistra will work with educators to stock classroom materials, refresh common learning areas and enhance the campus environment. At Clara Oliver Elementary School, volunteers from Rocket Mortgage and DN Tanks will help organize instructional materials, assemble student resources and improve classroom functionality. The organization intentionally selects schools in DFW where resources are needed most. “We focus on schools where there is a high need. There’s high opportunity for growth and the kids there are just as smart and eager as anybody else, but the neighborhoods are under-resourced,” Hoff said. “Making sure that the teachers have what they need so that those kids, again, can achieve just like every other child. That’s incredibly important to all of us.” The volunteer sign-up for Friday is full, but the United Way is encouraging the community to donate to school supply drives to help teachers and sign up for more volunteer opportunities. Click here for details. “The first day of school should be filled with possibility—not barriers,” said United Way President and CEO Jennifer Sampson. “When our community comes together to support students and teachers, we’re doing more than stocking classrooms. We’re sending a powerful message that every child matters, every educator is valued, and every student deserves the opportunity to begin the school year ready to learn, grow, and succeed.” ...read more read less