By Amira Van Leeuwen
KYLE — The Teacher Reuse, a nonprofit teacher store located at 3700 Kyle Crossing, invited teachers to celebrate its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
“They walk in, they get what they want and walk out,” said Shelly O’Donnell, founder and director of the Kyle Teacher Reuse.
PHOTO BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
Every book was unboxed, sorted and shelved by Kyle Teacher Reuse volunteer and Buda resident Cindy Naples.
About 25 teachers attended the grand opening from Lockhart, Del Valle, Hays County and Pflugerville schools.
Oftentimes, teachers pay out of pocket for the majority of the supplies and decorative items to make their classroom a personalized learning environment. The Teacher Reuse works to lessen teachers’ economic burden while encouraging recycling and reuse.
The Teacher Reuse provides supplies donated by the community, businesses and fellow teachers at no cost.
Teachers with a public or charter school photo ID could shop in the store for materials they may need for their classroom.
Teachers can register by scanning a QR code and completing the proof of employment form, taking a photo of their school ID and then scanning another QR code to attach their school photo ID to the email. Once those steps are complete, they are welcome to shop.
PHOTO BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
The Teacher Reuse offers a variety of free teacher supplies including educational posters.
The Teacher Reuse has an abundance of donated teacher materials including office supplies, posters and a library filled with donated books.
The Cindy Naples Bookroom, named after volunteer and Buda resident Cindy Naples, is filled with a variety of books, from chapter books to science books. The bookroom was named after Naples because she sorted, unboxed and categorically shelved every book.
Teachers can also fill out a wishlist. O’Donnell used one art teacher that came in as an example.
“She needs fine-point sharpies,” O’Donnell said. “Well, if I put ’em out here, everybody will take fine-point sharpies, but she needs that for art class. So, I try to hold things that teachers really need.”
Stephanie Saldana, a middle school and special education teacher, drove from Del Valle to attend the grand opening and described it as “teacher heaven.”
While Saldana is in her fourth year of teaching, she wishes she had known about the organization when she first started.
The Teacher Reuse posts its inventory weekly on Thursdays to give teachers a preview.
“They take screenshots and say, ‘Do you still have that?’ and yep, and I put their name on it,” O’Donnell said. “Because I want the art teachers to get art, the science teachers to get the science stuff first.”
Once teachers leave, they can fill out a tag. The organization offers a suggested price list so teachers can estimate how much they are saving.
The Teacher Reuse is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/theteacherreuse.
