(Photo by Gwen Sour) Employees and volunteers of Hall Financial Advisors wait for educators to collect school supplies during the annual Teacher’s Closet giveaway Saturday.

Teachers across Washington and Wood counties received much-needed classroom supplies Saturday through the Hall Financial Advisors Giving Foundation’s annual Teacher’s Closet giveaway.

Registered teachers picked up supplies at the financial advisor’s office in Marietta. The foundation distributed more than $20,000 worth of classroom materials to educators on both sides of the Ohio River.

Chris Hall, founder and CEO of Hall Financial Advisors, said the idea for the program grew out of a conversation he and his wife had with a local teacher about eight years ago.

“She was talking about how the students are really struggling this time of year with school supplies, and all the supplies that were brought in at the first of the year have clearly run out,” Hall said. “Teachers end up having to go into their own pocket to buy supplies for the students. We thought we could come in and help the teachers by giving them enough supplies to get them through the end of the year.”

Hall said the foundation’s outreach reflects the firm’s strong local ties in both Washington and Wood counties.

(Photo by Gwen Sour) From left, Amber Blasczyk, Madelyn Blasczyk and Kim Hall reorganize a bag of classroom supplies during Hall Financial Advisors Giving Foundation’s annual Teacher’s Closet giveaway on Saturday.

“This community has been so good to us,” Hall said. “We have so many tremendous clients on both sides of the river that we wanted to make sure we had an outreach in Wood County and in Washington County. We don’t really have a preference — we just want to serve the entire Mid-Ohio Valley.”

Each year, Kimberly Hall organizes the event, gathers supplies and coordinates individual pickup times for teachers who register in advance. Planning for the following year begins as soon as the current distribution wraps up, according to the foundation.

Hall said as the cost of classroom materials has increased, so has the scale of the program. He said this year’s supply haul included everyday classroom staples such as disinfecting wipes, paper towels, crayons, pencils and scissors, as well as customized items based on teacher requests.

“We know the basics that teachers need,” Hall said. “But we also try to tailor these care packages for teachers. A special needs teacher might need specific tools or toys, and a gym teacher might need equipment for physical education classes. They’re able to give us a list, and we go out and shop to meet those needs.”

Cody Venderlic, a former teacher who volunteered to help distribute supplies Saturday, said the timing of the giveaway is especially meaningful for educators.

(Photo by Gwen Sour) Kasey Snyder, left, a first-grade teacher from North Christian School, collects a bag of school supplies from Evelyn Knab on Saturday during Hall Financial Advisors Giving Foundation’s annual Teacher’s Closet giveaway.

“This is that time of year in education where you’re probably running a little low on crayons and markers and glue sticks, or they’re a little worn out,” Venderlic said. “To get a massive bag of goodies for the classes is just tremendous.”

Venderlic, who taught pre-kindergarten through second grade for 17 years, said the event resonated personally for him and his family.

“My dad was a teacher. My mom was a teacher. My wife’s a teacher. I used to be,” he said. “To come here on a Saturday morning and help pass out supplies for our educators in the community is just a no-brainer.”