CHEF distributes $15,000 worth of donated educational supplies

Cape Henlopen Educational Foundation members delivered more than $15,000 worth of donated school supplies to all district schools Aug. 30, helping to stock supply shelves for all the district’s teachers.                    

Now in its fourth year, the Caravan of Caring school supply drive supports teachers who spend their own money each year to buy materials for students who come to school without paper, notebooks, pencils and other necessary items.

Sydney’s Restaurant and Lounge, Lefty’s Alley & Eats, Schell Brothers and Staples hosted donation drop-off boxes Aug. 1-25, where community members deposited binders, pocket folders, zip drives, composition books, colored pencils, crayons, glue sticks, scissors, earbuds, sanitizer, tissues and more.

CHEF board member Ashley Reynolds said Staples also donated at least 85 percent of the total supplies, and offered shoppers the opportunity to support teachers by purchasing a small box of highlighters and other writing instruments to go toward the drive.

CHEF received monetary donations from individual community members; Diego’s Hideaway, St. Edmond Catholic Church and Johnson Orthodontics; and homeowners associations for Estates of Sea Chase, Reserve at Pilottown, Redden Ridge and Coastal Club, Reynolds said.

CHEF is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that funds teacher grants for unbudgeted classroom projects, support for homeless and limited-income students, STEM initiatives, performing arts education and training, and programs to promote diversity and inclusion. For more information, go to chef-cape.org.