Peepers for Teachers | Drive-Thru Donation
On Wednesday, July 29th, cars lined up at Peepers HQ in Michigan City, Indiana. Staff warmly greeted the visitors from behind masks as they handed out bags of reading glasses and school supplies as part of the latest Peepers for Teachers initiative.
Peepers is proud to regularly donate both time and supplies to our local teachers throughout the year. We also provide monetary contributions to benefit the private and public schools in the La Porte County area. Our goal is to evaluate schools’ deficiencies and turn those needs into a reality. To date, $29,700 has been donated to Peepers for Teachers!
Last summer, Peepers for Teachers hosted its very first parking lot party, complete with ice-cold beverages, live music by local performer and songwriter Brittany Lee Moffitt, and rows upon rows of long tables filled with reading glasses and sunglasses for teachers to browse and try on as they filled their bags.
2019 Peepers for Teachers Parking Lot Party
This summer, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our team had to put their heads together and restrategize so we could give back to our community teachers in a way that was safe for them as well as our staff. The committee decided to transform our parking lot party into a drive thru.
Teachers completed an online form to place their order in advance, which also qualified them for a drawing to win extra prizes. Over 110 area teachers participated. Peepers employees then picked, packed, and labeled bags filled with glasses in the specified strength(s) for each teacher. Over 3,200 glasses were given away, a value of approximately $75,000 at retail price. In addition, nine winners also received $1,000 worth of prizes, including Yeti and BruMate cups; Peepers tumblers; back-to-school teacher essentials such as Flair pens, highlighters, journals, wite-out rollers, and sticky notes; handmade candles; classroom décor; Starbucks gift cards; hand sanitizer; lip balm; gum; Peepers koozies; custom sugar cookies; and more!
Teachers, most of whom were masked as well, were instructed to drive in a single-file line around the parking lot until they reached the delivery area, where a Peepers staff member asked their name so their order could be located. Bags filled with glasses and prizes were passed through the vehicle window with minimum physical contact.
This year has been hard on everyone. As schools grapple with the immense pressure and challenges of reopening in the fall, teachers who already experience stress preparing for the new school year are feeling the burden now more than ever.
Giving back to our community and showing teachers how much they’re appreciated has never been so important, which is why we were so determined to make our parking lot party happen again, albeit a little differently from last year to accommodate safety regulations. Teachers were quick to reciprocate the sentiments of gratitude:
To all the teachers facing brand-new challenges this school year, whether it’s starting with online classes or in person, we at Peepers are so thankful for all that you do! Stay well and stay safe!