Kids In Need Foundation Announces Twin Cities Resource Center is Reopening

Center Originally Opened in 1999; Target, 3M, TCF, General Mills Foundation and Blue Sky Commit To Continue Services

DAYTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Kids In Need Foundation, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and under-funded teachers, announces its Twin Cities Resource Center will reopen by back-to-school 2012. The Kids In Need National Network of Resource Centers includes 27 facilities where teachers from low-income schools go to obtain free school supplies for their students. Because of a change in the operation of the Twin Cities Resource Center, it was necessary to suspend services in October 2011.

“Working with the Kids In Need Foundation gives Blue Sky the opportunity to support education in a way that directly benefits teachers and kids”

Teachers from the St. Paul and Minneapolis districts have made more than 3,000 shopping trips annually to the Center since it opened in 1999, selecting about $350 in school supplies for their students during each visit. There are no charges to the schools, the teachers, or the students for the supplies. When the Center closed, teachers who have relied on the Center to provide essential supplies, including pencils, paper, glue, crayons, and scissors, felt the loss inside their classrooms. Now, national corporations headquartered in the Twin Cities, including Target and 3M, have agreed to provide funds to help get those supplies back into the classrooms.

“We know that teachers are often forced to spend their own money on classroom supplies each year,” said Dave Smith, executive director of the Foundation. “The Resource Centers are meant to alleviate this burden on teachers while getting those supplies into the hands of kids who need them. We are thankful that Target, TCF, Blue Sky, 3M, and General Mills Foundation have pledged their support to get things going again at the Twin Cities Resource Center.”

“Education is at the heart of Target's giving, and we are proud to support the Kids In Need Foundation as part of our $1 billion commitment to education by the end of 2015,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “By helping to reopen the Twin Cities Resource Center, we hope to pave a path to graduation for more Minneapolis and St. Paul students by equipping them with the supplies they need to succeed.”

“3M has a history of investing in the communities in which we operate by providing jobs for local residents and supporting education, the environment, youth development and the arts” said Robin Torgerson, vice president, Community Affairs and the 3M Foundation, “We have a proud tradition of supporting the Kids In Need Foundation nationally and look forward to continuing to serve the students in Minneapolis and St. Paul through the reopening of the Teacher Resource Center.”

“TCF has had a long-standing commitment to Education, through corporate and community giving as well as through the volunteer efforts of our employees,” said Barbara E. Shaw, EVP, director corporate human resources, TCF. “We are proud to support the Kids In Need Foundation and its mission of providing the resources and supplies the youth of Minneapolis and St. Paul need to make the most of their education experience.”

“We are pleased to support programs like the Kids in Need Foundation's Teacher Resource Center, which is doing wonderful work to support our schools and strengthen our communities,” said Ellen Goldberg Luger, executive director, General Mills Foundation.

“Working with the Kids In Need Foundation gives Blue Sky the opportunity to support education in a way that directly benefits teachers and kids,” says Tom Brancky, executive vice president sales and marketing, Blue Sky The Color of Imagination. “The Twin Cities Resource Center provides essential educational materials to the communities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Blue Sky is proud to be part of this important effort.”

Donations can be made on our website, at www.kinf.org/twincities or at 612-465-0135. Donors can also Text SCHOOL to 85944 to donate $10.

About the Kids In Need Foundation

The Kids In Need Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization with offices in Dayton, Ohio, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1995, the Foundation’s mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need. The Kids In Need National Network of Resource Centers includes 27 facilities where teachers from low-income schools go to obtain free school supplies for their students. In addition, two Kids In Need Teacher Grant programs provide K-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning experiences for students. The Kids In Need Foundation has distributed $400 million in school supplies since its founding, directly benefiting 2.2 million students and 100,000 teachers annually, and has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to teachers. Kids In Need has received Charity Navigator’s highest four-star rating for three consecutive years, indicating that it operates in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most other charities in America. For more information, visit www.kinf.org. Follow Kids In Need Foundation on Twitter, http://twitter.com/kidsinneed