SANFORD, Fla. – Seminole County Fire Department personnel on Friday suited up and rolled out to deliver a care package of classroom essentials for teachers and students to use for free throughout the new school year.
With dozens of boxes of school supplies on hand — donated in a collection drive hosted at all SCFD stations and Seminole County public libraries — the firefighters handed off the goods at 10 a.m. to Tools 4 Seminole Schools, located on Airport Boulevard in Sanford.
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Tools 4 Seminole Schools, operated by the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools, seeks to alleviate the burden of school-related costs on teachers and low-income families by offering a place for students and educators to visit, “shop” a bit, and leave without paying a dime.
“Prices have gone up, we felt that here and we used funds to purchase supplies, for example a ream of paper has pretty much doubled, our backpack prices have gone up,” said Jean Van Smith, executive director at the Foundation for SCPS. “So the teachers can come in and shop once a month for supplies for their students in need and then they make sure they take it back and that the students get whatever they need.”
District 4 county Commissioner Amy Lockhart also attended the event, as did Amy Pennock, chairman of the Seminole County School Board.
“It’s such a blessing and I’m glad that we have this opportunity to be able to support those families,” Pennock said.
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