2010-08-06 08:04:54 - Community Finance Corporation’s Donation Kick-starts Two-Week Effort

Educational non-profit Tucson Values Teachers and Walgreens drugstores throughout Southern Arizona are spearheading the second “Tucson Supplies Teachers” campaign to prevent teachers from being forced to buy school supplies with their own money.

A $25,000 grant from the Tucson-based non-profit Community Finance Corporation kick-started the drive to purchase supplies for teachers to use in the 2010-2011 school year.

“Teachers are spending $1,200 on average to supply their students with necessities such as pencils and paper and that’s unacceptable,” said Jacquelyn Jackson, executive director of Tucson Values Teachers. “Together with Walgreens and the generous grant from Community Finance Corporation, we are trying to keep our teachers’ hard-earned money in their pockets.”

From Aug. 9 to 21, all Walgreens stores in Pima County,

Sierra Vista and Nogales will host collection boxes for the community to drop off items such as notebooks, pencils and crayons. Items can be purchased at Walgreens or brought in from other locations.

More than 10,000 teachers at public, private and charter schools will receive the supply donations. Volunteers from the Metropolitan Pima Alliance, Marana Chamber of Commerce, Raytheon, Horizon Moving Systems and school foundations will deliver items as donation boxes are filled.

Michael Hammond, board president for the Community Finance Corporation and chief executive officer of Tucson-based real estate and property management company PICOR Commercial Real Estate Services, said he hopes the $25,000 grant will inspire other local businesses to donate funds to the campaign.

“Our region has some of the best teachers in the nation, but they are poorly paid and their classrooms are not all well-stocked,” he said. “We are proud to step up in support of Tucson Values Teachers, and we hope that other businesses are inspired to join forces with them. Together, we can really make a difference for our teachers, kids and the region.”

For a full list of participating Walgreens drugstores and their locations, visit www.tucsonvaluesteachers.org.


ABOUT TUCSON VALUES TEACHERS
Tucson Values Teachers is a regional initiative determined to prove that the Southern Arizona community should not just talk about the importance of improving education, but must unify in action to retain, recruit and reward K-12 teachers. The organization recognizes the critical role of teachers in the region and value the vital influence they have on Tucson's future. For more information, visit www.tucsonvaluesteachers.org or call (520) 327-7619.