LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Many teachers around the area are getting necessary classroom supplies paid for by strangers. Thanks to an online Facebook group, one of the teachers at Norton Elementary School is now all set for the new school year.
It's not only students who get the back to school jitters. "It can be overwhelming. There are times that I just had to say, 'it's going to be okay!'" says Amanda Colpo, an Exceptional Child Education Teacher at Norton Elementary.
The same goes for Colpo who looks around her classroom and ponders what the rest of the year holds. "Four, eight, twelve, 20 plus boxes were over $250," Colpo said.
The supply list for her nine students with moderate to severe disabilities, goes beyond pen and paper. She describes the list as "neverending."
Colpo posted on the website, DonorsChoose, asking for help. "I was already up with my children and my phone started beeping and I was fixing breakfast and I'm like what in the world is going on here."
Within days, her grant had been fully funded. "When I got to the first email, it was Stephanie saying, 'this is Stephanie from Louisville Family Fun, we've chosen your project for $5 Fridays," Colpo said.
"You're not asking a lot. You're asking for people to give $5, just a lot of people to give $5 to give teachers what they need," Stephanie White said.
White is a former teacher herself. After hearing about a similar idea online, she created $5 Fridays for Kentuckiana Schools. Each week, she features a local teacher's needs on Facebook through her online community page, Louisville Family Fun, asking readers to donate every Friday. "They post these campaigns, some of them and they don't end for weeks, but they need those materials now," White said.
"It's like Christmas Day man! It is so exciting," Colpo said.
All of the items are now checked off the list, a grand gesture for a limited budget. "I would've funded it out of my own money," Colpo said.
Some of the items include microfiber calming lights, sensory balls and weighed blankets. "She's passionate, she's so knowledgeable when she was talking about those supplies and the reasons for them because a lot of people don't understand. Why would you need those lights? Because she knows," White said.
In 20 weeks, more than $3,500 worth of donations have been given to teachers around Kentuckiana. "I cried the first few weeks because I would post it at 6:30, 7 o'clock in the morning and 45 minutes later, it's done. I couldn't believe how quickly it was happening," White said.
"It warms my heart. It warms my heart as a teacher, people who don't even know me are willing to help and willing to give and willing to make a difference in my life and my students' lives," Colpo said.
Colpo will make sure even more needs are being met. "I want to pay it forward and give to another teacher the way I was given to, because this is awesome. It made this teacher's dreams come true," Colpo said.
However, before moving on to next week's teacher, White had one more surprise for Colpo: a $100 gift card for more supplies.
If you'd like to donate to $5 Fridays for Kentuckiana Schools, click here.
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