A while back, I joined a non-profit leadership circle. This group of charity executives meets once per month to discuss topics of interest, current happenings, and to commiserate and support each other. Only those who sit in leadership chairs can fully understand the issues and challenges facing their peers every day.
I have been fortunate to meet folks who have become friends from these sessions. One of them is Barb Blalock, the Founder and Executive Director of Treasures 4 Teachers (“T4T”). Barb and I share much in common. Both of our organizations were focused on providing resources to children, acquiring and distributing products to assist in the organization’s mission. We both have also uttered the same phrase – Collaboration is Key! We are so much stronger when we work together, cooperating to fill the needs of many, which Barb and I did on many occasions.
Another commonality – we each took action to serve a need that was not being met in our community. For me, it was the basic needs of Arizona’s children in foster care; for Barb, it was supporting educators with the resources needed to be successful in teaching our children. In 2004, she witnessed a student who did not have a pencil give a shoe as collateral to the teacher. With a lack of available supplies, that teacher wanted to ensure that the pencil would be returned at the end of class. Barb decided then and there that she needed to take action to help, and formed T4T.
Thank you, Barb, and Treasures 4 Teachers for having the vision and taking the action to improve educational opportunities for teachers and students throughout Arizona.
Thank you, Barb, and Treasures 4 Teachers for having the vision and taking the action to improve educational opportunities for teachers and students throughout Arizona.
Today, T4T operates out of a 20,000 square-foot building in Tempe, along with two satellite facilities where pencils, paper, art supplies and so much more is available to Arizona teachers. Watching teachers fill bags and shopping carts with products they can use in the classroom is exciting. T4T is also focused on reusing items, such as the staplers, from now empty offices and much more. I can only imagine how creative educators will put many of the recycled items to use. In one example, Barb explained how CD cases could be repurposed to use as white board message pads!
Teachers and collaborative community partners can also benefit from new bulk product donations that T4T receives as a National Resource Partner of the Kids in Need Foundation. Recent truckload gifts have included sharpies and disinfectant wipes. These items are provided to teachers, and also used through a network of local charity partners – greatly extending the reach of such valuable resources.
According to recent rankings in U.S. News and World Report, Arizona ranks 46th among the states in education. Arizona voters approved the Invest in Education Act in 2020, knowing that we need to do better for our children.
Barb Blalock and the T4T team work hard to ensure that teachers have the resources they need to properly educate our children. Through their efforts, 4,500+ teachers will receive support this year and more than 135,000 Arizona students will have the pens, paper and supplies they need to succeed in school. Perhaps as importantly, T4T makes it possible that no 7-year-old will need to provide a shoe to borrow a pencil from her teacher.
Thank you, Barb, and Treasures 4 Teachers for having the vision and taking the action to improve educational opportunities for teachers and students throughout Arizona.
To learn more about Treasures 4 Teachers visit www.treasures4teachers.org.