POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Teachers are no stranger to digging in their piggy banks to buy resources for their classrooms. The Teacher's Market has worked to bridge the gap between those extra expenses for 10 years but the pandemic has increased the need.

“We’ve already helped 1300 teachers this year so if you multiply each teacher by 30 students, you can see just how far these resources can stretch,” said Susan Copeland, the Executive Director of Polk County’s Education Foundation. 

Copeland said the Teacher's Markey started as a small idea. The retired teacher had a storage full of old classroom items that she had no use for. After putting forward efforts to donate those items, she looped the community in to help join the movement.

“All of our donations come from local businesses, private donors. Our retired teachers donate some of the best things,” explained Copeland. “We take both new and gently used classroom items.” 

The Teacher’s Market allows a select number of teachers to come into the market and fill a bag with classroom items. 

“We give them a bag and about 20 minutes in the market,” said Copeland. “Emails go out to teachers every month, and we host these three times each month.” 

On Wednesday, dozens of teachers showed up to the market, each one very appreciative of the extra help. 

“I like to get crayons, pencils, and also things to motivate them," said 4th-grade teacher Elizabeth Becerra. “I’ve been before and it was just great to have that support.” 

The Teacher's Market provides resources throughout the academic school year and accepts donations year-round. If you’re interested in becoming a donor, check out The Polk County Education Foundation to see how you can make a difference.