The Wichita Eagle reports the average teacher spends between $600 and $1,500 a year of his or her own money on classroom supplies.

GracePoint Church executive pastor Terry Johnson says giving teachers the tools they need can help them better educate students.

The church recently established a nonprofit organization called Project Teacher, which hopes to open a volunteer-run free store in time for next school year.

The idea was inspired by Schoolhouse Supplies in Portland, Oregon, which distributed more than $430,000 worth of supplies during the 2010-2011 school year.