How a Best-Selling Food Writer Came to Run a Wish List-Clearing Project for Teachers

This famous food writer lives in Manhattan and has two children, one in 4th grade and the other in 10th grade. There are a wide variety of causes and issues she can help with. I wondered why she chose this one.

I recently had the chance to ask Perelman that question, along with what has surprised her most about the initiative and which recipe on her site best represents “back to school.”

She quickly realized that this wishlist project, which was both satisfying and inspiring, didn’t require any major sacrifices for her.

“Sometimes I feel guilty about how easy this project is for me,” she admits. “If it were harder, I’d do it. [but] To be honest, I feel like I’m not even sweating this.”

She added: “This is a reflection of the generosity and kindness of the community. It’s not like I’m doing anything special; I’m just using the space I’ve already created to give light back to those who need it.”

The following interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

EdSurge: When and how did the Classroom Wishlist project begin?

Deb Perelman: This is the third summer, so what year did it start? 2022.

I received a message from a reader. Her daughter is a school teacher. [the school] She had no budget for classroom supplies, so she asked, “Can I share and promote my classroom wish list with my readers?”

And I did, and they fulfilled her entire wish list within a day. I was just blown away by the generosity. And then I started hearing from a lot of other teachers that they wanted me to help them, too. I thought, “Yeah, let’s give it a go.”

The first summer was not very organized. For example, people [direct message] They sent me their list and shared it with me in a spreadsheet, and by the second summer, which was last summer, I decided that I wanted to make this a project, something I would do annually if possible.

I created a Google Form where teachers could submit a list, tell me a little bit about their school, what city they live in. I think that’s really helpful because sometimes they’ll write, “Oh, it’s a music school. I love music,” or, “Oh, it’s my city.” If you have a lot of teachers, it’s more meaningful for people to have a little bit more information. [lists].

When I did that, I got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of submissions. I worried — and I still worry — that there would be too many submissions and we wouldn’t make any meaningful difference. With a list of 20, I’d remove them all. But with a list of 900, I can’t promise anything at all, or even close to it.

But I forget that if someone who doesn’t know what I need sends me even a quarter of it or a whole piece, [item]and still make a total day. It doesn’t matter if you just bought some crayons or 10 books. You can’t not have everything people need and still be well-received.

Imagine what people will receive and Appreciate their humanity.

Well, I think it feels good for both of us. Plus, I think buying books and crayons for the classroom is really fun. I love buying school supplies.

I have two children, both of whom attend public school. When they started elementary school, we [a list] At the beginning of the school year, teachers asked us, “Here are some things we can use in the classroom. If you’d like, please bring them.” Since then, fundraising at the public school has increased, and the PTA has been able to raise more money. We don’t have to buy any school supplies anymore, which is a real blessing. We don’t have to buy a box of crayons. It’s really amazing.

We’ve been very lucky. … And like I said, I think it’s so much fun to buy crayons and books and stuff for the classroom. It feels really good.

That’s a very natural beginning. Do you often receive emails from readers asking you to support some cause?

Not as often as I would have expected, but maybe I just don’t keep as much control over my email.

One of the dark secrets of Smitten Kitchen is that we don’t employ staff, just a bunch of very, very part-time assistants. I’m kind of a DIY person, which has its pros and cons, so I wouldn’t say this happens often, but I love it. It feels good. I think everyone wins. I love the idea of ​​supporting teachers.

The things teachers need are often very basic. It’s a small, inexpensive purchase that can really make someone’s day. And I get such lovely letters from them. People are just so happy and filled with joy when they walk into their classroom and see that a complete stranger has bought them all the glue they need for the year. Or someone sent me this picture. There must be 50 books for the classroom. Someone bought almost every book on their list, and when she walked into the classroom, the books were there.

How do teachers find you? Do they peruse your online community?

Usually, yes. I mainly do shoutouts through Instagram, where my biggest social community is. I also have a website, but I try to narrow it down a bit. It’s people who read the site, or their kids or friends. I try not to be too wide open on the internet, otherwise I’ll have 10,000 wish lists and nothing will be fulfilled.

But I do like the idea of ​​expanding a bit more once I can hire a part-time staff member next summer, like finding people to sponsor me or match my wishlist clearing amount, but I don’t have the capacity to delve into that personally right now.

Have you had a teacher this year or the past few years who made a lasting impression on you?

Oh well, there was a lot.

Last summer, Hawaii wildfiresthere were people who were specifically looking for lists from those teachers. [on Maui].

I think especially when there’s some kind of tragedy or weather disaster and it’s on the news and teachers don’t know how they’re even going to start the school year, it definitely brings a lot of attention to that. I’m definitely interested in helping in those tangible ways, where what I’m doing has a direct impact on a kid’s education and how their year goes. I feel like helping in that way is the most satisfying.

When you look at these wish lists, are there any requests that you get particularly frequently or that surprise you?

I [is most surprising] Whether schools thrive or not depends a lot on how they are funded, and while I’m no national expert on education, a lot of that comes from crowdsourced funding, not from the money schools receive from the state for their students.

In many places, parents don’t have extra money to donate, while in other places there are parents who write checks to the PTA for over $500 each year, and it’s amazing what a difference that makes to a child’s education.

If you live in an area where parents are tight on cash and don’t have a lot of spare change, why would they not have what they need in their kids’ classrooms? Why would that affect a crayon shortage? It seems odd.

That was an eye-opener for me, and I’ve also heard from a lot of retired teachers and older teachers who say, “Oh, I was spending $2,000 a year out of my paycheck. It’s so amazing that people want to help.” This money that teachers are spending is invisible to people. It’s invisible.

Is success measured by the amount of money raised or wishlists solved, or is there measurement itself?

In fact, I don’t measure at all. Thank you letter As a good indicator of how it is received and of joy, which can always be seen.

One last question: Of the recipes on your website, what is the most quintessential “back to school” recipe?

I think Homemade Oreos Is that right? Of course. Grilled cheese and tomato soup — Kid’s meal — Or homemade Oreos, which are really easy. They’re like two chocolate sugar cookies with vanilla in them. They’re so fun.