Company : Greer's
Program category : 2018 2018

Origins:

In 2008 Greer's partnered with Apples for the Students. The program runs in 30 Greer's locations through three states. (Alabama, Mississippi and Florida) It starts in September and runs through March every school year. The schools register with Greer's each year. The stores and schools receive Apples program kits to get started. Greer's and the schools display provided signage to promote Apples for the Students. Parents and community members are asked to submit their receipts to the school they wish to support. Receipts are gathered and submitted for points to redeem educational supplies. One dollar spent in a Greer's store is worth one point to a school. At the end of the program Apples totals the receipts submitted by every school and sends them points to redeem the educational supplies that will benefit their school the most. Greer's then pays 1% of total receipts submitted by all the schools that registered. This has been a staple in Greer's community for 10 years now. This is how Apples for the Students and Greer's has been able to achieve what they have together. It is a program that Greer's and their community fully support and believe in.

Contribution:

Company Contribution: Donated $60,500 toward school supplies/equipment. Greer's and their family of associates believe in and promote the program daily. Coordinate with schools PTO's. Produced television/radio ads about the program. Award outstanding performances by schools or teachers. In the last 9 years Greer's has supplied close to $600,000 in free educational supplies. Offer bonus opportunities to schools to receive bonus credits Community Participation: 52 local schools registered with Greer's 6,060,200 worth of receipts were submitted by the communities and schools in 2017-18 Schools compete in contest facilitated by Greer's

Objectives:

Apples for the Students has a main objective of providing educational supplies to schools at no cost to them. Greer's shares this same sentiment and loves to support the community that supports them. Greer's understands the importance of education to our youth. It is also important that students and schools have the necessary supplies to facilitate learning. Educational budgets are always being cut and the people left with the bill are our teachers and administrators. So, together Greer's and Apples for the Students is trying to bridge that gap in schools' budgets and provide students with whatever they need to be successful in their education.

Impact:

The impact of this program can be seen in any of the 52 schools that have received free educational equipment because of Greer's. In the past 9 years Greer's has provided almost $600,000 worth of supplies to local schools. This past school year alone Greer's donated $60,500 towards school equipment. That is everything from printers to pencils to soccer balls. The fact that the program has ran for 10 years consecutively is a good indication of its success and impact in the community. Apples is supported year after year because the community sees the impact it has on their local schools. The schools receive tangible items and Apples provides a program breakdown that shows exactly what Greer's provided to every school. It's a great way to showcase it's success and let the community know what they helped provide the schools.

Quote:

“Education, next to the health and safety of our children, is the number one concern of parents today,” J. Greer said. “We, at Greer’s, care about the education and well-being of our children and youth and the dedicated teachers and administrators. “At Greer’s, we are parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and we are concerned about educating our children and youth. Many of our part-time associates are high school and college students working to fund their educational goals. We are concerned that budgets continue to be cut forcing many teachers and administrators out of their chosen profession. We are also concerned when we hear that so many teachers are purchasing supplies out of their own pockets.”

Support Statement:

Press release prepared by Apples for the Students, Greer's program partner: A Decade of Giving to local schools, teachers and students. Teachers foster creativity, develop character and give students the lenses with which to view the world. By doing this they provide students with the skills they need to reach their potential and lead productive lives. “We are committed to giving our teachers the tools to do their job” says Jan Greer Endfinger VP of Marketing. For the past 10 years our Apples For The Students Program enables schools and classrooms to earn much needed educational equipment and supplies and it is FREE to the schools. Beginning September 1st our schools collect Greer’s register receipts and redeem them for educational awards from our catalog of over several hundred items. Apples For The Students is a win/win/win opportunity for schools, teachers and our shoppers. To date Greer’s has provided over $500,000 in educational tools for our local schools.