Giant Eagle Joins Effort to Equip Kids For School

Pennsylvania-based grocer Giant Eagle is mounting an in-store donation campaign to support Storehouse for Teachers, a regional nonprofit group aimed at ensuring teachers and economically disadvantaged children get the school and classroom supplies they need.

“Giant Eagle’s commitment to educational causes led to our participation with Storehouse for Teachers,” Gene Tommasi, Giant Eagle senior VP, said of the campaign that runs through Aug. 26. “We are asking our customers to join Storehouse for Teachers in their efforts to provide critically needed school supplies to all children irrespective of their economic means.”

Storehouse for Teachers’ mission is to provide teachers in all qualifying schools (K-12) with free school supplies that will enrich their classroom experiences and enable their students to excel academically. The Giant Eagle donation campaign allows customers to make a monetary donation at the cash register, which will go toward obtaining the needed supplies.

All schools with at least 60 percent of their students on free or reduced lunch programs qualify to receive school and classroom supplies from Storehouse for Teachers. Nationally, on average, teachers spend $1,200 per year of their own money to purchase classroom supplies that the schools and parents cannot afford to make available to them. During economic downturns, the need for school supplies is magnified.

Giant Eagle operates more than 220 locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.