Groups rally to donate gift cards, school supplies for Chapel Hill teachers

For 14 years, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation and participating rotary clubs have hosted a donation drive for local teachers. This year, during COVID-19, teachers have an entirely new set of needs.

"It's just something that our members at East Chapel Hill Rotary Club really get behind," said member Tim Smith. "It's one of our biggest service projects of the year."

"We wanted to make sure teachers had exactly what they needed for remote learning," said Sirita Allen with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation. "Things like anchor charts and Post-it notes."

Daye Jones, who founded the project, offers up his Triangle Office Equipment space where volunteers unpack the supplies, put them into gift bags and get them ready to be delivered to schools where teachers can pick them up.

"These are things that make it easier for the teachers to do their job at home," Jones said.

Another popular gift? $40 Walmart gift cards so teachers can buy exactly what they need.

In all, the donations amount to $75 in gifts for every teacher.

Allen, who taught for 35 years, knows how much the gifts mean for teachers.

"They appreciate this so much to know that they are thought about and cared for," she said.