Riviera Beach, FL — Hundreds of students in Palm Beach County will receive new school supplies for free next week through our annual School Tools Program.
20th year red apple supplies, Palm Beach County Education Foundation‘s free teacher resource store partnered with Publix supermarkets to distribute over $201,000 in supplies to teachers in 120 Title I district schools.
Teachers and principals drove to the Red Apple Supply Store on Riviera Beach at 8 a.m. to pick up supplies from volunteers, forming lines long enough to wrap around the building and down the street.
Volunteers loaded supplies into cars, while others provided hot chocolate and sweets.
🍎🎉📚 red apple supplies, Shun Shun The Free Teacher Resource Store is distributing $200,000 worth of essential school supplies to teachers in 120 Title I district schools. This generous donation @ Publix Tool program for supermarket schools! pic.twitter.com/zKhzWPQQw4
— Palm Beach County School District (@pbcsd) December 3, 2022
Education Foundation President Jim Moore also served as the event’s disc jockey, with a quartet of barbershops serenading while drivers waited for supplies. Santa Claus also visited the event.
Palm Beach County Superintendent Michael Burke said the event was especially necessary because one in five students in the district live in poverty.
“This goes a long way in ensuring that children have the supplies they need to stay in the classroom,” Burke said.
Pahokee middle and high school principal Dwayne Dennard backed Burke’s words, emphasizing the need for supplies.
WPTV
Dennard said 99% of students at his two schools are on free or reduced meal programs, indicating considerable financial need.
“Without these supplies, many children are not reaching their full potential,” Dennard said. This is a great opportunity for parents and students in a situation of inflation.”
Supplies distributed included everything from notebooks to headphones.
The supplies will be distributed to school students next week, Burke said.
