RALEIGH, N.C. — WakeEd Partnership officially kicked off its annual “Back to School with Tools4Schools” Community Supply Drive today, rallying public support to fill the shelves of its free classroom supply store for Wake County Public School teachers Tools4Schools. The eight-week drive runs through August 22 and helps ensure that educators across the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) have the essential materials they need as they prepare for the upcoming school year.
This year’s drive began with a media event at the Staples store on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh, where local leaders joined WakeEd and Staples representatives to highlight the importance of community support for public schools. Speakers included:
- Dr. Robert Taylor, Superintendent, Wake County Public Schools
- Chris Heagarty, Chair, Wake County Board of Education
- Yomary Wilder, General Manager, Staples (Garner location)
- Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership
Staples returns as a key partner, hosting donation bins at all of its Wake County locations for the duration of the drive. Shoppers are encouraged to purchase extra items for donation while doing their own back-to-school shopping.
Since opening in 2022, Tools4Schools has distributed over $1.6 million in free school supplies to Wake County teachers. Last year alone, the store served more than 5,000 educators representing every single WCPSS school. Survey results show that 94% of teachers who visited the store said it helped reduce their out-of-pocket spending—costs that average more than $1,000 per teacher per year.
“Teachers are spending too much of their own money on basic classroom needs, and that’s unacceptable,” said WakeEd’s Keith Poston. “The Tools4Schools store exists to ease that burden—and it’s only possible because of the incredible generosity of this community. Whether it’s a box of pencils or a cart full of notebooks, every donation makes a difference.”
The Tools4Schools Community Supply Drive invites individuals, businesses, and organizations to contribute by donating supplies, making a financial gift, or shopping the Amazon wish list, which ships items directly to the Tools4Schools warehouse.
School Supply Drop-Off Locations
The Tools4Schools Community Supply Drive will feature drop-off locations across Wake County. Additionally, several businesses and organizations are holding their own school supply drives to collect items for Tools4Schools. If you are interested in hosting a drop box or running a school supply drive at your place of business, complete the form here and download the Community Supply Drive Toolkit here.
- Tools4Schools, 1816 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604
- Staples stores – all Wake County Locations:
- 1391 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary, NC
- 921 E. Broad Street, Fuquay-Varina, NC
- 8041 Brier Creek Parkway, Raleigh, NC
- 3064 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC
- 11845 Retail Drive, Wake Forest, NC
- 1220 Timber Drive East, Garner, NC
- YMCA Wake County Locations:
- A.E. Finley YMCA, 9216 Baileywick Road, Raleigh, NC
- Kerr Family YMCA, 2500 Wakefield Pines Drive, Raleigh, NC
- Taylor Family YMCA, 101 YMCA Drive, Cary, NC
- Northwest Cary YMCA, 6903 Carpenter Fire Station Road, Cary, NC
- Poyner YMCA, 227 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC
- Alexander Family YMCA, 1603 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC
- Poole Family YMCA, 2110 Aversboro Road, Garner, NC
- Kraft Family YMCA, 8921 Holly Springs Road, Apex, NC
- YMCA of the Triangle Association Resource Center, 801 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC
- Knightdale Station YMCA, 494 Knightdale Station Run, Knightdale, NC
- Southeast Raleigh YMCA, 1436 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC
- Gladwell Orthodontics Locations:
- Wake Forest Location: 2824 Rogers Road, Suite 200, Wake Forest, NC
- Rolesville Location: 101 Redford Place Drive, Rolesville, NC
- Downtown Raleigh Location: 510 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC
- North Raleigh Location: 13271 Strickland Road, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC
- Spring Arbor Assisted Living: 1705 Kildaire Farm Rd., Cary, NC
- The Bachhubers: 612 Hollymont Dr., Holly Springs, NC
- Crosspointe Church: 6911 Carpenter Fire Station Rd., Cary, NC
- Buffaloe Lanes Cary: 151 High House Rd., Cary, NC
- Towne Bank: 7100 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh, NC
- Grubb Ventures: 3700 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC
- Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More of Raleigh: 6675 Falls of Neuse Rd., Ste. 107, Raleigh, NC
- Raleigh Specific Chiropractic: 7721 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC
- South Cary Dental: 530 New Waverly Place, Suite 302, Cary, NC
- West Shore Home – 1203 N New Hope Rd, Raleigh, NC
- Sanderson Men’s Lacrosse Team – 1213 Coldstream Ct., Raleigh, NC
How can you support Tools4Schools?
Make a cash donation – DOUBLE YOUR GIFT. All gifts are tax-deductible. Click here to donate using a debit or credit card. Checks can be mailed to WakeEd Partnership at 1816 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604 with Tools4Schools on the memo line. The 4 Others Foundation will match ALL MONETARY DONATIONS from donors to Tools4Schools through September 30 up to $20,000.
Donate NEW school supplies. WakeEd accepts donations of new classroom supplies year-round to fill the shelves at Tools4Schools. A list of the most popular items requested by teachers can be found here. Donations can be dropped off year-round at Tools4Schools or this summer at one of our supply drive drop-off locations listed above. Please coordinate large deliveries with the WakeEd team at Tools4Schools@wakeed.org.
SHOP our Amazon Wish List. Shop the Amazon Wishlist to buy items most-requested by teachers and ship to the shelves at Tools4Schools. Click here and select the Tools4Schools address at checkout and ship the supplies directly to Tools4Schools.
Donate gently used office supplies. In addition to new classroom supplies, WakeEd Partnership takes donations of gently used items for classrooms from companies, organizations, and individuals. Most requested used items include staplers and tape dispensers.
Host a supply drive. If your business or organization is interested in hosting a supply drive, click here to register your Tools4Schools classroom supply drive and click here to download our classroom supply drive kit and start collecting! If you have any questions, email Tools4Schools@wakeed.org.
Volunteer at Tools4Schools. WakeEd Partnership is seeking volunteers to help stock shelves, interact with educators, inventory supplies, package, and sort supplies. If your family, club, or organization is interested in volunteering, click here to sign up via Activate Good.
Special Events and Supply Drives (More Coming!)
UNC Health will once again hold its annual school supply drive campaign ending on August 7 with a “Stuff the Bus” event at UNC Rex Hospital on Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh and will deliver the supplies to the Tools4Schools store. Further details of this event will be announced soon.
For information about additional giving opportunities, including corporate sponsorships, contact WakeEd’s Director of Development Kristen Farrell at kfarrell@wakeed.org.
About WakeEd Partnership
WakeEd Partnership is an independent, nonprofit organization composed of business and community leaders committed to improving public education. Since 1983, the Partnership has advocated for excellent educational opportunities for all students in the Wake County Public School System. For more information, please visit www.wakeed.org.
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