With school starting on Monday for Chicago Public Schools students, some teachers are doing their back-to-school shopping Saturday.
“Two of my friends, we come every year and it’s great because you can truly get everything you need and kind of everything that you run out of toward the end of the year,” teacher Ken Lowndes said.
The Sullivan High School teacher is stocking up on last-minute items for his classroom and students.
“The nice part is for $20 on a Saturday, it’s as much as you can kind of take and so it really cuts down on the costs for later in the year,” he said.
Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood opened its doors this weekend to teachers, hosting its annual giveaway. Teachers can fill their carts and bags with as whatever items they need this fall for a low fee.
“I love to see all the teachers using the resources,” teacher Rayshawn Nowlin told NBC Chicago. “You can just really see people’s gears going as they’re thinking about what they can use this for, so it’s great.”
Every single item in the warehouse has been donated from businesses with a surplus, retiring teachers and interior design firms. Barbara Koenen is the founder and executive director of CCRX.
“All of this stuff would be in the landfill because the people who had it didn’t know what to do with it, so we tend to just throw it out when it’s all really good,” Koenen said. “There’s a lot of people who could use it.”
The rising cost of school supplies is not only impacting teachers but also parents. The National Retail Federation found parents plan to spend an average of $875 on school supplies this year.
“Everything is expensive. It’s not cheap at all; food, school supplies, clothes, everything,” mother of two Kadijah Lee said. “This was really like a good thing to do for the community for sure.”
Along with community partners, St. Sabina Church hosted its summer block party, giving away 1,200 backpacks filled with supplies. Kids enjoyed a fun day of free food, music, activities and even got free haircuts in a mobile van.
“I’m so grateful and thankful,” parent Lillian Swift said. “I got tears of joy on the inside for the fact there’s events like this and people like this.”
As they celebrate what’s left of summer, they’re soaking up the fun before hitting the books.
“Stay in school, put the guns down, just come together and just love on each other,” foster parent Melvin Cox said.