BLIA North Carolina Chapter Responds to Tools4Schools, Collecting School Supplies for the New School Year
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[Reported by Yiru, North Carolina, USA] To support Tools4Schools, an educational supply program organized by WakeEd Partnership, a nonprofit organization based in Raleigh, North Carolina, the North Carolina Chapter of Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Second Subchapter organized a five-week school-supply drive. Members and community residents responded enthusiastically, donating a large quantity of school and teaching supplies for students and teachers. On August 20, 2026, the collected supplies were delivered to WakeEd Partnership as a practical expression of support for local education.
Tools4Schools is a long-standing educational support program operated by WakeEd Partnership. Through donations from community members, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, the program collects school and teaching supplies and provides them free of charge to teachers in Wake County public schools. Unlike a conventional store, the program operates as a membership-based service. Teachers must register and verify their eligibility before they can select supplies free of charge according to their classroom and teaching needs. The program not only helps reduce the financial burden on teachers who otherwise purchase teaching supplies with their own money, but also ensures that students have access to adequate learning resources. Over the years, it has become an important bridge connecting the local community with schools.
As the donation took place just before the start of the new school year, Venerable Zhi San of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina, BLIA North Carolina Chapter President Gee Chia, and three other BLIA members traveled to WakeEd Partnership to deliver the donations. They offered warm wishes and encouragement to teachers and students preparing for the new school year and were personally welcomed by WakeEd Partnership President Keith Poston.
Chia said that BLIA has long served the community in accordance with the Three Acts of Goodness—“Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, and Think Good Thoughts.” She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to give back to the community through concrete action and support local education. She hoped that the donation, though modest, would help ease the burden on teachers and provide children with greater opportunities and hope for learning.
BLIA member May Shiue also shared her feelings, saying that seeing boxes of school supplies arrive at the donation center was deeply moving and gratifying. Knowing that these resources would soon make their way into classrooms to help teachers and students in need made the effort especially meaningful.
This marks the third consecutive year that the BLIA North Carolina Chapter has supported WakeEd Partnership’s Tools4Schools program, continuing its commitment to local education through concrete action. The drive received enthusiastic support from BLIA members and the wider community, resulting in 14 boxes of teaching and learning supplies, including crayons, pencils, notebooks, folders, scissors, tissues, and other educational materials. An additional $1,000 cash donation was also made to help supplement educational resources and ensure that teachers and students can begin the new school year with greater support.
