Oregon church raises funds for Oregon Elementary School teachers

OREGON – The Oregon Church of God held its annual yard sale and raised more than $2,200 to donate to Oregon Elementary School teachers to assist with covering out-of-pocket costs that teachers may incur purchasing classroom supplies and materials throughout the school year.

‘’We have many retired teachers in our congregation, and so we understand that teachers are an invaluable resource to our children and give back to our community in ways we will never know,” said Nathan Massey, assistant pastor at Oregon Church of God. “We wanted to show our appreciation to our local elementary school teachers by donating the proceeds from our annual yard sale to help cover classroom costs.”

Typical out-of-pocket costs teachers spend on their own classrooms each year are well into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars, as they aim to make it the best environment possible for students.

According to a national survey completed by adoptaclassroom.org, in 2020-2021, teachers spent on average $750 of their own money, with 30% of teachers spending $1,000 or more on school supplies. Teachers may spend money to decorate their classrooms, plan engaging activities for their students that require extra materials, or buy books that they or their students will use to extend their learning.

Oregon Elementary School plans to distribute funds to each classroom to be spent on classroom supplies and materials in helping relieve the burden of teachers spending their hard-earned money to create a welcoming classroom environment each year.

“Teachers do not get enough credit for all they do to meet the needs of their students. We routinely have staff who spend their own money on their classrooms to meet the needs of their students,” said Ryan Huels, assistant principal of Oregon Elementary School. “In a time when so much is put on our teachers’ plates, I am appreciative of a local organization that recognizes the incredible work teachers do on a daily basis, and we are grateful for our community’s continued support of our staff and students.”

The Oregon Church of God’s annual yard sale committee donates the proceeds to one or two causes to support community growth each year. For those interested in donating, call the church directly at 815-732-6847 or visit www.oregoncog.com/contact-us.html.