Teacher Closet helps 800+ educators in Bryan-College Station, beyond

Explore Bryan - College Station on the Impact Map stories, offers and more For more than 800 teachers in Aggieland and beyond, a trip to Teacher Closet means one less classroom expense to worry about. The nonprofit in Bryan stocks shelves with donated school supplies ranging from decorations to grading necessities and other classroom essentials. It lets school employees shop free of charge. At a glance Teacher Closet is an initiative of All Heart Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and is based behind the former Bryan ISD Central Distribution building at 1918 N. Earl Rudder Freeway in Bryan. The organization is entirely donation and volunteer-based, and anyone with a valid school district employee ID can shop during open shopping days. The history Teacher Closet Initiative Director Monica Martinez, a longtime educator, said the idea began after she visited a similar program in Dallas. 'I said, 'This needs to be something in the area,'' she recalled. Martinez said she understood the financial pressure educators can face when trying to provide supplies for their classrooms as a teacher herself. 'I know as a teacher, if I was struggling, there were others struggling,' said Martinez. She said she remembered being a first-year teacher and having to wait until October for her first paycheck, while still needing to supply a classroom. In 2021, Martinez and her team partnered with Morningstar Storage, which provided two storage units that were converted into shopping spaces. The organization eventually expanded into four storage units. Two were used for shopping and two were used for storing donations. Last year, Teacher Closet partnered with Bryan ISD to move into its current location, giving the organization substantially more space to serve educators. Martinez said the organization has helped more than 800 teachers since opening. The impact extends beyond the educators who walk through the doors. 'You think of those 800-plus teachers ... that's thousands and thousands of kids that you reach,' Martinez said. The impact Despite its name, Teacher Closet is not limited to classroom teachers. Any school employee with a valid school district ID can shop, including nurses, administrative, custodial and cafeteria staff. Martinez said school employees often use supplies to decorate offices and interact with students in ways that go beyond classroom instruction. The organization also occasionally works with educators who have specific circumstances, such as new teachers who join a district after a scheduled shopping day. Teacher Closet's shopping opportunities are volunteer-run, meaning the people who operate the organization also have full-time jobs. Martinez said the group is working to offer shopping days more frequently this school year. The organization hopes to host open shopping days every six weeks to coincide with school grading periods and give teachers more opportunities to replenish supplies. The summer months are typically especially busy, with several large shopping days scheduled before the start of the school year. How it works Everything available at Teacher Closet is donated. Some of the most frequently needed items are supplies teachers go through quickly, including: Dry erase markers Permanent markers Erasers Pens and pencils Glue Colored pencils and crayons Other basic classroom supplies Even as more classroom instruction moves online, traditional supplies remain a necessity, Martinez said. 'Kids need to learn how to write,' she said. 'So, they need those pencils and pens and colored pencils, crayons, things like that.' Teachers can then choose what they need from the available supplies without paying out of pocket. Get involved The same community support that helped Teacher Closet grow is what keeps it operating. Teacher Closet accepts new and gently used items year-round. Donation bins are available at the Bryan location, including one inside the gates when open and another outside the gates when closed. Community members can donate through the organization's online wish list or monetarily, allowing people to purchase needed items and have them sent directly to Teacher Closet. Martinez said the organization has also begun building partnerships with local businesses to collect needed supplies. 'Our mission is to help teachers, to bridge that gap in the community and with our teachers,' she said. Going forward