• by Danielle Oster , August 15, 2023

With back-to-school season now in full swing, teachers will have their work cut out for them, and organic, allergy-friendly snack brand MadeGood wants to lend a hand.

According to the National Education Association, more than 90% of teachers spend their own money on school supplies and other necessities. Snacks are no small part of that, with NEA Today noting that “A number of educators mentioned that they spend a lot on snacks because if they don’t, they routinely see students who are too hungry to focus on their schoolwork,” and one teacher went so far as to call spending on snacks her number-one financial drain.

So the issue makes a lot of sense for the brand, which is rewarding $200 to 1,000 teachers across the country through its MadeGood Share Some Good Fund, and a commensurate giveaway in Canada. The initiative calls on consumers to nominate deserving educators who have made a positive impact on their lives from now until Sept. 24 -- allowing them to submit one entry per week.

“We all know how crucial education is for our children and the amount of effort our teachers put into ensuring students succeed," said Nicole Bleiwas, vice president of marketing at MadeGood parent company Riverside Natural Foods, said in a statement, adding that the brand hopes the Share Some Good Fund “can help their school year get off to a good start!”

MadeGood teamed up with actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, who won an Emmy for her portrayal of kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard on “Abbot Elementary,” to promote the initiative by calling on fans to submit deserving educators for the award

“I personally have had several teachers who made a great impact on my formative years, and as a mother I have seen how educators have helped shape my own children," Sheryl Lee Ralph said in a statement. "Teachers work tirelessly to support their students. The MadeGood Share Some Good Fund is a major step forward in aiding them ahead of the school year."