TINA CORLEY looked on in grateful awe at the rows of pallets stacked near her husband, Ryan, and their adult children, Chloe and Caden. Every pallet was stuffed with school supplies for the Bedford County Adopt a Teacher campaign. The July heat — coupled with no air conditioning inside the Goggin Warehouse — was no match for the warmth Corley felt.
In the parking lot outside, car doors opened and shut. The baseball team from Shelbyville Central High School (SCHS) strolled in alongside their parents. When they joined the volunteers from Goggin, everyone was eager to sort through the bulk donations graciously provided by three local businesses. Once the task was completed, several pallets taller than Corley would be delivered to each of the 16 public schools in Bedford County, as well as to The Webb School, Victory Christian Academy, and Cooper Academy. But Corley wasn’t surprised. Her favorite quote, credited to Helen Keller, said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much,” and once again, her community had proven this to be true.
“The concept is quite simple,” Corley said. “I created a Facebook group and encouraged public school teachers to join and post their Amazon Wish Lists, which includes their needs and wants, and we invited everyone in our social circle to join this group. I manage the group exclusively, rally the troops, field questions, etc., and I run the campaigns for about 60 days. I do this during June and July to create a sense of urgency. Items purchased from the Wish List arrive at the teachers’ doorsteps. Then they post pictures to our page of what they received. From there, something beautiful begins to happen.”
When Corley was a student at SCHS, her speech and drama teacher, Karen Christie Ford, encouraged her to believe in herself. “Instead of focusing on my shortcomings, she always encouraged me to identify what I was good at and to go be great at it. When someone asks what inspired me to launch this campaign, I always credit her for the incredible difference she made in my life. I vowed that someday I would find a way to honor her and I would ‘pay it forward.’ That day came in June of 2020.”
Corley continued, “COVID-19 was doing its best to steal joy from everyone in its path. In June, I had a little idea. Having kids of my own in our public school system, I knew how much our teachers were spending out of pocket to provide for their classrooms. When I first started the group, my hope was simple: to connect with a few teachers and learn about their classroom needs through the Amazon Wish List. I figured we’d celebrate even if only a handful of items were purchased by generous donors — the success we experienced was nothing short of divine. I was simply doing what I felt led to do; God did the rest. It was a lot of work, but I felt as if I was being directed and obedient in my efforts.”
That first summer, with only a fraction of teachers reporting, Corley was pleasantly surprised when she saw the total was over $30,000! “When the summer of 2021 rolled around, local teachers started reaching out, asking when the new campaign was going to launch. The rest is history!”
That summer, $45,000 worth of Amazon Wish Lists were fulfilled. Momentum continued to build. Posts were being shared on social media. Soon, Corley had another brilliant idea.
“Back in 2021, I began thinking about how the campaign could evolve to shine a spotlight on another vital part of our community — our local small businesses. I began hosting weekly Facebook Live events during the campaign, sharing updates and then hosting giveaways sponsored by local businesses. Leading up to each Live event, I featured the businesses by sharing links to their Facebook pages. To be eligible to win, teachers and support staff needed to like and/or follow their page. This gave these businesses a whole new audience! I researched their businesses and created engaging ‘infomercials’ during the Live events. Some viewers jokingly shared that they gather a drink and snacks like they’re about to watch a movie!”
By 2022, the donations had tripled the amount raised in their first year. During the 2023 campaign, donations doubled the previous year and surpassed that number the following year. When their sixth campaign ended in the summer of 2025, Corley had helped to raise over $1 million for our local teachers, classrooms, and schools without ever having to touch a single dime!
“This group started as a simple idea to help a few teachers with classroom essentials, but it has grown into something truly powerful because of our community support,” Corley said. “Every Wish List fulfilled, and every item donated, is proof that when we come together, we can make a real difference. Our campaign is a place where we exercise kindness in the biggest way. It’s an uplifting space that celebrates our ‘difference makers!’ If you want to escape the negativity found all around us these days, just visit our page, and you’re sure to find JOY there! That’s my promise.” GN
To make a difference today, join over 4,000 followers on the Bedford County, TN – Adopt a Teacher Facebook page.
