Last Updated on September 5, 2024 by Luke Feldbrugge
The Homes for Heroes Foundation awarded Classroom Central Inc. a $5,000 grant to assist teachers and their students, by providing much needed supplies and educational resources at no cost, to establish an equal learning opportunity for all students in the classroom.
Classroom Central Check Presentation with Jay Flynn
The grant check presentation interview was conducted by Homes for Heroes Foundation Director, Jay Flynn. Local Homes for Heroes Real Estate Specialist, Dawn Johnson, joined Jay to interview Emily Cook from Classroom Central, and teacher Jordan White was also in attendance.
You can watch the full interview or read about it below.
Jay: Hello and thanks for joining us today. I’m Jay Flynn, Director of the Homes for Heroes Foundation. With me today are Jorden White, who is a teacher in the local area supported by Classroom Central, Inc., Emily Cook with Classroom Central, and Dawn Johnson, Homes for Heroes real estate specialist in the Charlotte, NC area.
Thank you for joining me today. And, as part of the Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving, Dawn and I are honored to present this Homes for Heroes Foundation $5,000 grant to Classroom Central, Inc. Congratulations.
We are honored to help you out. And I know you will put these funds to great use for teachers and their students. So let’s take a few minutes to talk about what Central Classroom, Inc. does.
So Emily, in 2002 Classroom Central started. Tell us about those 22 years of service, your mission, and what you’re doing to support teachers.
Emily: Yes. Like you said, we started in 2002. We are coming up on our 22nd birthday or anniversary this October, of serving the greater Charlotte metro community.
Currently, we are serving six districts surrounding Charlotte Metro which breaks down to about 162,000 eligible students; somewhere between 8,000 – 9,000 educators and 248 schools. Even though our footprint sounds massive, there’s still so much opportunity for us to help. Our goal can not be summed up better than our mission, which is putting equity in the classroom by providing teachers and students with the free resources they need to succeed.
I emphasized free, because everything that we give to educators and to their students is provided at no cost through our organization. We’re really proud to say that last school year we distributed more than $10.5 million locally in free school supplies.
Jay: That is awesome. And, I look behind us and it says on the wall, “Investing in teachers so students can fly!”
So Dawn, Homes for Heroes real estate specialist, why is Classroom Central, Inc. so important to you?
Dawn: Thank you so much for having me here today. I am so impressed with this set up and everything that you have here for supporting all the teachers of the county. I mean, it’s absolutely amazing. I’m so glad to be a part of Homes for Heroes, who gives back in such a special way to teachers, especially for me.
Before I was in real estate, which I’ve done for 19 years, I was a school teacher for ten years.
I taught at the Department of Defense school base, and I also taught in traditional elementary schools. So I know the hard work, the dedication that it takes, everything that you pour out to your students, to the parents, to the other teachers, to the whole community in general. And I’m just so honored that I can give back in a small way to be able to help support you and the whole community.
If you don’t know about the Homes for Heroes program, you should be asking about it. Find out about it. It’s amazing. Basically, if you use a Homes for Heroes agent like myself, then after closing, whether you’re buying or selling, you get a Hero Rewards check back.
Jay: So Emily, $5,000 in the big picture may not sound like a huge number, but how does Classroom Central plan to use this grant to further support teachers?
Emily: Hey, $5,000 is a huge number. The beauty is that it gives us many options to support our educators. That’s what we do here. This check allows us freedom and flexibility throughout the year, to figure out what our educators need; whether it is supplies, resources, programs, or whatever the case may be.
It also allows us to initiate the use of funds quickly in our districts if we find a specific need, as we will have some money set aside to do that.
This grant will provide the much needed flexibility and freedom to our organization and our educators.
Jay: That’s awesome. So, Jordan. It’s your turn to talk. We just heard about Homes for Heroes, and all that we do to serve our hero groups. We’ve talked about what Classroom Central is doing with these grant funds to support teachers. Why is Classroom Central, Inc. and grants like this so important to you as a teacher?
Jorden: As a teacher, an educator, and especially for my students, it’s foundational. It helps to ensure my students and also myself, have equitable and foundational resources, and it helps to alleviate stress. When my students come in, and they don’t have a pen or paper, they may think they can’t participate. This support allows them to just be a student and participate, and that helps my stress levels as well.
So when I entered the classroom, I can now reflect on my first year, when I was bogged down with all the responsibilities of being a first year teacher. I didn’t realize there was such an equitable gap between resources for students along with teachers.
Then I was introduced to Classroom Central, Inc., the mission, the drive to ensure that students in the area and teachers were equipped with the necessary materials to make sure all students were engaged in the classroom.
Those foundational materials make a big difference. Before coming today, my kids all got a notebook, a pencil, and a backpack because of Classroom Central. So the donations, the grant, it’s necessary because I know my kids are going home with the foundation tools they need. That’s something all students should have access to.
Jay: And as a teacher, that financial burden could be on your shoulders. But instead, you have a partner to take that off your shoulders.
Jorden: Absolutely. And it feels like it’s a partnership and I’m being supported when I don’t have to take it all on myself. So I truly appreciate that.
Jay: Wow, that’s wonderful. So Emily, that’s a big mission. Huge mission. So if people want to learn more, what are the best ways to do that, and are there volunteer opportunities folks in the Charlotte metro area can get involved with?
Emily: Absolutely, first visit our website to learn more about what’s available. There is everything you need to know about our programs, about how we work, and anything you want to know about us; including posts providing full transparency. We also offer a ton of information on our social media profiles; including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, even TikTok, just search for @ClassroomCentral. If you prefer to make a donation that can be done on our website too.
If you want to get more involved, there’s thousands of ways you can do it. We really pride ourselves in providing opportunities for every age and every ability. Whether it is volunteering here in-store, checking teachers out, helping us stock the warehouse, or even just creating flashcards at home.
We even have, and this is one of my favorite programs, a group of senior citizens that knit scarves, hats, and gloves for our students for the winter months.
So if you want to get involved, we can find a way to put you to work, and we welcome you with open arms.
Jay: So, there’s no shortage of opportunities?
Emily: There’s no shortage of opportunity and no shortage of support and love in the community. We’re very blessed to have such a wonderful volunteer base, and groups that want to get involved with us.
Jay: Awesome. Dawn, Emily and Jorden, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to sit down and chat with me about the great work Classroom Central, Inc. is doing.
To those viewing us, thank you for taking a few minutes to tune in and hear about the great work that Classroom Central’s doing, and what the Homes for Heroes Foundation is doing all across the country for great organizations like this one, that support our heroes in need.
And, remember to take a minute and thank a hero today.
Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving
Grants from the Homes for Heroes Foundation are made possible by the Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving and its network of real estate and mortgage professionals. Homes for Heroes, Inc. is committed to providing savings to community heroes; such as firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, military (active duty, reserves and veterans), healthcare professionals and teachers.
To expand its Circle of Giving, Homes for Heroes, Inc., donates a portion of its earnings to the Homes for Heroes Foundation. So, every time a hero buys or sells a home using the Homes for Heroes program, they are helping other heroes across the country facing a housing crisis or who are in need of urgent financial assistance.
If you are interested in learning more about how Homes for Heroes can guide you through the home buying, selling or refinancing process AND save you an average of $3,000 after closing on a home with one of their local specialists, simply sign up to speak with a member of the team. They will follow up with you to answer all of your questions. When you tell them you’re feeling ready to speak with their local specialists in your area about home buying, selling, or refinancing your mortgage, they will connect you with their local specialists to begin the process.
Simply visit the Homes for Heroes Foundation page if you’re interested in learning more about where it has awarded recent grants to hero organizations throughout the country, how much they’ve awarded to date, and how it all works.
If you’re interested in supporting and donating to the Homes for Heroes Foundation to assist heroes in need, please visit their donation page to submit your contribution via PayPal. And, thank you for your interest and support.
