Chatham PTA Thrift Shop to donate $385,000 to Chatham County Schools

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The Chatham PTA Thrift Shop will present a donation of approximately $385,000 to Chatham County Schools at the board of education’s Sept. 27 board meeting, distributing funds across the district’s schools based on each school’s respective volunteer hours.

“We are grateful for the parents and volunteers who worked to make this donation possible,” CCS Public Information Officer Nancy Wykle told the News + Record. “These funds will support a variety of programming throughout Chatham County Schools, making a difference for our students and teachers.”

Schools with participating PTAs can use the funds however they deem necessary “to achieve their local mission/objectives,” PTA board President Keith Stinson told the News + Record in an email.

“In the past PTAs have spent money on beginning of the year teacher needs, field trips, technology, band/art supplies, and playground/sports equipment,” Stinson said. “The Chatham PTA Thrift Shop’s objective is to provide a revenue stream back to Chatham County School Parent Teacher Associations. At the end of each fiscal year, proceeds are dispersed to participating school PTAs.”

The board’s meeting will be held in the multipurpose room at Pollard Middle School in Pittsboro and school principals, PTA presidents, thrift store managers and CCS board of education members will be in attendance. Superintendent Anthony Jackson will also make an appearance via Zoom during the evening.

Normally, a catered dinner is a part of the annual event, but that will look a little different this year due to COVID-19 protocols. Instead, the organization will host a “dessert extravaganza” in which every guest leaves with a wrapped dessert to take home with them. Additionally, attendees will be entered into a raffle to win one of three cakes from local bakeries — The Phoenix Bakery, Carolina Cravings and Fancy & Frosted.

“This arrangement will allow all to continuously wear their masks, which will be required for the event,” said Cate House, PTA thrift shop board secretary and Pollard PTA thrift shop representative. “What I love about this is that we are a Chatham County organization supporting and promoting Chatham County businesses.”

The PTA Thrift Shop is a nonprofit organization that raises funds at its three stores in Chatham — Pittsboro, Siler City and North Chatham at Cole Park. Shops are staffed by a mix of paid employees and volunteers, Stinson said, who pick up, sort and display merchandise at the thrift stores.

The shop, he said, provides an opportunity to foster teacher-student relationships, teach leadership and business skills and provide volunteer hours for students.

“We are very fortunate to have such strong community support for Chatham County Schools,” said Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson. “The PTA Thrift Stores have a long and generous history of supporting our students and staff through their fundraising efforts and we are deeply grateful to have them as partners in supporting excellence in education here.”

Reporter Hannah McClellan can be reached at hannah@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @HannerMcClellan.