The Teacher Reuse nonprofit opens to reduce out-of-pocket costs for Central Texas teachers

Retired teacher Shelly O’Donnell started The Teacher Reuse, a nonprofit organization that helps teachers and other nonprofits, Aug. 1 at 21009 I-35, Kyle, next to the Hays CISD central administration buildings. The Teacher Reuse is a free resource for teachers throughout Central Texas in need of items for their classrooms and students.

The nonprofit is based on donations from the community. O’Donnell also goes hunting on Facebook Marketplace for items teachers may have requested or items that may be useful for teachers; then, teachers from any public or charter school in the entire state can visit the site and take whatever they may need.

While some teachers donate items they no longer need for their classroom, O’Donnell said members of the community probably have an assortment of items that they do not know can be donated that are not standard school supplies, such as fabric, yarn, containers, furniture, board games and more.

O’Donnell said The Teacher Reuse helps alleviate some large problems in the community; items that would normally end up in a landfill are now being donated to those in need, and teachers no longer have to resort to paying for supplies out of pocket.

“We love community donations because this is the stuff that teachers go out and buy on their own,” she said.