Supplying Teachers With a Helping Hand

Dear Baltimoreans,

Teachers in the Baltimore City Public School system are some of the most heroic men and women working in any profession. They are tasked, often under difficult circumstances, with educating our most precious resources: our children.

Unfortunately, we have all heard the stories about teachers who lack proper resources, and were forced to spend their own money purchasing much-needed supplies for their classrooms.

Sharon Jones-Matthews, a local businesswoman, has heard these same stories. About a year ago, she decided to help out by opening the Wish-List Depot - an office supply-style store that provides free supplies to teachers workinag at schools serving the system's most underprivileged students. The first store opened inside Johnston Square Elementary School.

On Thursday, I had the privilege of joining Jones-Matthews at the ribbon cutting for her second location at Pimlico Elementary/Middle School. Since November 2012, the Wish-List Depot has given away 4,516 pencils, pens, crayons, notebooks, batteries and a slew of other supplies, according to Jones-Matthews.

“Our long term goals are to get warehouse space with a loading dock. This space will be turned into a large free store so that all teachers teaching at Title 1 schools grades pre-K through 12 can shop.” 

Our teachers invest considerable amounts of energy and love in our children. At the very least, they should be provided with the tools required to properly perform their jobs.

Let's show our appreciation for teachers by supporting Wish-List Depot and providing them with the supplies to help ensure success in future generations of Baltimoreans. 

For more information please visit http://wishlistdepot.org/.