THE KIDS IN NEED FOUNDATION
The Cleveland Kids in Need Resource Center is part of a national network of 25 resource centers that provide free school supplies to teachers in underprivileged schools. These centers receive product donations from national manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of school and office supplies. These donations are coordinated by the National Kids In Need Foundation located in Dayton, Ohio. The National Foundation is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization founded in 1995. Its mission is to recognize, promote and support initiatives that foster educational excellence. One way it achieves its mission is to solicit and distribute materials through its network of Kids In Need Resource Centers. While the National Foundation performs a very important role, it does not provide funding to operate any of the centers, including the Cleveland Kids In Need Resource Center.
THE CLEVELAND KIDS IN NEED RESOURCE CENTER
The Cleveland Kids in Need Resource Center was opened in November, 2001 by a dedicated group of volunteers. The Center occupies 15,000 square feet at 3631 Perkins Avenue near East 40th Street and Chester Avenue. Using a donation of paint from ICI Paints, Steering Committee members transformed a bleak, dull warehouse space into a bright, colorful, attractive place we can all be proud of. The Center is open for teacher "shopping" three days a week from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm from September through May. Between 10 and 15 schools are scheduled to shop each week. To qualify to receive free supplies, schools must provide documentation that at least 70% of the students qualify for support from the Federal Free or Subsidized Lunch Program.
The Center is stocked with product donations received from the National Foundation, local companies, and an annual "Stuff the Bus" event sponsored by Fox 8 News that gives the general public a chance to make donations. Those donations are sorted and shelved by volunteer and community service workers in a retail-style environment for selection by the teachers. There is a commitment to have certain core supplies like copy paper, filler paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, glue, glue sticks, scissors, etc. on the shelves at all times. Money is raised to purchase these core items. Because we buy in significant quantities, we can obtain supplies at about 40% below the retail price.
CLEVELAND CENTER'S HISTORY
2001 - Kids In Need Resource Center Opened in November2003 - First full school year, teachers from 25 elementary & middle schools where 93% - 99% of the students were eligible for the Federal Lunch Program were scheduled twice a year.
2004 - Added 10 schools with 90-93% eligibility and 17 schools targeted by the Cleveland District Administration as needing academic improvement. The teachers at each school shopped twice in the year.
2006 - Added the remaining elementary & middle schools in Cleveland and January 1st of 2006 added the High Schools (with their 18,000 students). This fulfilled our initial 5 year goal of serving all the eligible schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
2007 - Added the East Cleveland School District with 10 schools and 6,400 students.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
When the Cleveland Kids in Need Resource Center first opened in 2001, we supplied teachers at 25 elementary schools in the Cleveland Municipal School District. Now in its seventh year, the Center is able to offer free products to the teachers at over 150 eligible schools: public, parochial and charter; elementary, middle, high schools, and vocational in the Cleveland Metropolitan and East Cleveland school systems.
THIS SCHOOL YEAR CLASSROOM TEACHERS FROM 156 SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE MORE THAN $1.8 MILLION OF FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO OVER 80,000 STUDENTS!
We didn't do it alone… Visit our sponsor page to learn about those who help us!
