On Aug. 21 deaf education teacher Britt Budd handed out 60 backpacks full of supplies from Amazon. This giveaway was part of a program called “Together We Give” back-to-school campaign. 

“One of our former employees who worked in special education [named] Ms. Barb contacted me and said the company she works for called Fast Dash, nominated the McNeil special education department to win supplies from Amazon,” Budd said. “We plan on sharing the supplies with anyone who needs it, not just our group.”

Budd said she thought McNeil was selected because they are a special group and are influential in special education, but the supplies handed out are not just about the students but also about the teachers. 

“Ms. Barb said that the reason the supplies were handed out is because Fast Dash recognizes that over 90 percent of teachers personally fund classroom supplies,” Budd said. “ So the delivery service partners wanted to make a real impact.” 

Budd also believes it’s made a true impact on students’ learning experience.  

“I noticed that kids were not expecting to get free things, but when they saw Amazon and recognized what it was they were like “We’re getting something from Amazon for free”,” Budd Said. “I think that’s going to make them feel more confident to be in their classes and do their work because they’ll have the supplies to do so.”

When kids have the learning tools they require, the classroom can be more than an enjoyable and great learning experience, but the point of this campaign giveaway goes beyond just the supplies. 

“I have a lot of students who come to school without the things they need and it’s not just supplies, it’s food among other things, so anywhere we can get assistance is great,” Budd said. “I hope that people see this and realize how even something small helps and keeps us going through the end of the year because sometimes it’s hard.”