The Teacher’s Desk is the store where teachers shop free for school supplies, books and teacher resources for students in 250 WNY schools in need. Its mission is to distribute free school supplies to students in need, to encourage teachers and to provide purpose through volunteerism.
Founder John Mika, a retired autoworker, was working as a substitute teacher in urban and suburban schools and saw firsthand the difference in classroom supplies when comparing city to suburbs. Even the basics like pencils, pens and paper were desperately lacking in classroom after classroom in schools serving students in need. After a young boy at a Buffalo School ran up to John with a runny nose, he searched The Teacher’s Desk for a tissue, but there was none to be found. He gave the boy his handkerchief and soon after had a God given plan to provide children in need with the tools needed to succeed in education. Facial tissue is the first item among hundreds of core products, new books and fun/creative resources that can be found at the teacher free store. The Teacher’s Desk opened in October, 2011 and annually distributes over $6,000,000 in new school supplies, including facial tissue to 6000 teachers located at 250 schools serving 150,000 students in need throughout the Western New York community.
Mission Statement: The Teacher’s Desk is the store where teachers shop free for students in need existing to show others the goodness of God in 3 specific ways: distribute free school supplies to students in need, encourage teachers and provide purpose through volunteerism.
Board of Directors:
Alyssa Gross…Esquire…William Moran & Associates
Donna Russo…Director…Kingdom Bound Ministries
Bill Hein…Chairman…William S. Hein & Co.
Kevin Marmion…President…William S. Hein & Co.
John Mika…Director…The Teachers Desk
The Teacher’s Desk is an approved 501c3 operating throughout Western New York.