Teachers’ Treasures was founded in 2000 by a retired school principal, Phyllis Imel, who wished to continue helping the at-risk children in the community succeed in school.  The “free store for teachers” opened in a small unused area in the basement of Washington Community School on the near Westside.  A dedicated staff of volunteers began seeking product and financial contributions which could be used to provide teachers with the educational and materials needed by the children in their classrooms.

As awareness and interest grew throughout the educational and business communities, so did the need for more room.  This need was met by Kroger, who leased a former store at 1800 East Tenth Street to the organization for $1 a year.  In September 2007,  Teachers’ Treasures opened a new location almost three times larger than the original space, with spacious aisles for shopping, plenty of free parking, special needs-accessible, air conditioning, a warehouse, and the ability to serve teachers (and their students) year ‘round with an expanded calendar.