TUCSON, Ariz. -- Thanks to a $85,000 donation from Tucson Electric Power, teachers in the area will be able to buy basic and essential supplies for their classrooms.
TEP made the donation to Tucson Values Teachers for its Tucson Supplies Teachers program. The contribution will allow TVT to fulfill all 1,200 pending requests for support plus help other applicants in need.
Under the program, teachers can submit one-time requests for supplies funding. Teachers are then given $50 gift cards to buy the needed items at local Office Depot or Office Max stores.
“Many teachers spend $500 or more of their own money each year on basic school supplies such as paper, pencils, highlighters and dry erase markers,” TVT Chief Operations Officer Katie Rogerson said. “TEP’s generous donation will help cover those costs and allow teachers to make more supplies available to children whose families cannot afford them.”
In addition to its collaboration with TEP, TVT also works with Pima Federal Credit Union, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, and Vantage West Credit Union to raise funds for the Tucson Supplies Teachers program. Since the program began in 2009, more than $1 million has been raised for classroom supplies.
