As another school year begins in Henry County, a local nonprofit organization is continuing its effort to help teachers have what they need to teach their students effectively.

  The Raise Me Up Foundation is hosting its fourth Adopt-A-Teacher campaign. The endeavor,  now in its fifth year, is designed to connect elementary, middle and high school teachers with supporters through the month of August.

  During the campaign, teachers, known as “adoptees,” provide their wish lists of needed materials and supplies. Supporters, in turn, purchase school supplies for students and classrooms.

  Priti Griffin is the founder and executive director of the Raise Me Up Foundation. She said she became aware of the need for the campaign while working in the Student Services division of the Henry County Schools system.

  “By aligning parents, residents, community leaders and local businesses with teachers in need, we are able to coordinate a collaborative community-wide effort,” said Griffin.  “First, our teachers  – we call them ‘adoptees’ – provide us with a ‘wish list’ of needed materials and supplies.  Through the resources of community networking and a little marketing, we match the wish list to an adopter and then facilitate the delivery to the school.

  “After the initial 300 teachers have registered to be ‘adopted,’ we look for individuals and businesses to sponsor or adopt a teacher,” continued Griffin. “It  not only supports our teachers and students, but it bring our community together for a worthy cause.”

  Griffin began cultivating her passion for helping teachers and students at an early age. Her parents moved to the United States from India when she was nine years old, and she said they always emphasized the value of education.

  Griffin said she hopes to carry on her parents’ legacy to help kids reach their goals. She initially launched Raise Me Up in 2016 with the goal of finding 25 teachers who would share their biggest school-supply needs.

  Griffin planned, at that time, to reach out to individuals or businesses to adopt area teachers. Fortunately, she said, local businesses and individuals stepped up in a big way to serve as sponsors for the campaign.

  “The first year, we had 192,” said Griffin. “We just have a great  community.” Griffin said from 2016-2018, a total of 697 teachers in Henry County were adopted through her program, to help them obtain school supplies for their students.

  “Our goal is to reach 1,000 this year, so we need at least 303,” she said. “We need people to help us adopt these teachers so that we can ease their financial burden. Griffin said Adopt a Teacher also benefits students who don’t have the academic tools they need to be successful.”

  “A lot of students come to school without school supplies,” said Griffin, adding that many of them cannot afford more expensive items they may need for their classes. “Their teachers end up with financial burden of paying for them. On average in the United States, teachers spend anywhere from $600-1,000 out of their own pocket for school supplies.

  She said the Adopt a Teacher website will notify sponsors, upon registration, where they can shop for school supplies.

  “Some of our supporters go shopping themselves, bag the supplies, and deliver their teacher bags to the respective school,” said Griffin. “Others help by donating supplies and take them to our drop off locations, which we collect, bag and deliver to the schools.

  “The sponsors get the opportunity to go to the school and deliver it themselves,” added Griffin. “Even if the bag is only $50 worth or $30 worth, they are just so appreciative. It brings the community together to support the teachers and the children.”

  Griffin said Adopt a Teacher helps both teachers and students by providing school supplies, which are depleted quickly during the school year.

  “We will not stop until every single one of the teachers who registered is adopted,” said Griffin.

  The foundation’s website further highlights the need for the Adopt a Teacher program, by pointing out the financial woes facing schools and educators.

  “Most public K-12 school systems are receiving less support from states than ever before,” the website states. “This leaves a big gap.  Teachers often step in and fill those gaps for students who do not have the family support or financial ability to provide these daily supplies.”

  Teachers can be adopted via the foundation’s website or its Facebook page.

  For more information, visit https://raisemeupfoundation.org/adopt-a-teacher/.