Together in Education: Harris Teeter and Communities In Schools Raise 300K for Students Across the Southeast

It started with a simple ask at the checkout counter: Would you like to round up your total to support Communities In Schools? Millions of Harris Teeter shoppers said yes — and together, they raised more than $300,000 for students at participating CIS affiliates.

The "Together in Education" Round Up Campaign, which ran from July 30 through October 28, 2025, channeled those spare cents into real support through Communities In Schools® (CIS®), the nation's leading provider of K–12 school-based integrated student supports. Funds also benefited Classroom Central, The Salvation Army, and Alliance for a Healthier Generation, reaching CIS National and 19 affiliates across the Southeast region.

Since 1998, Harris Teeter has contributed more than $33 million through its Together in Education programs, reflecting the company’s longstanding commitment to supporting educators, students, and schools.

Hearing what Communities In Schools is doing, the impact that the organization is making, and that we are directly able to support that, means everything to us. This is more than a check, this is inspiration.

-Kimberly Johnson, Community Relations Specialist, Harris Teeter

Celebrating in Charlotte

On April 14, Communities In Schools and Harris Teeter marked the campaign's success in Charlotte, North Carolina – home to the company’s headquarters. Representatives from Harris Teeter presented a check to CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg on behalf of participating affiliates and joined CIS staff on a school visit at Bruns Avenue Elementary School in Charlotte, NC — putting the spotlight on the students and educators whose lives this partnership directly supports. 

The visit highlighted how local corporate investment, paired with proven student support infrastructure, can create a lasting impact for young people and communities alike.

Rey Saldaña, President and CEO of Communities In Schools National, joined Men Tchaas Ari, President and CEO of CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, along with Harris Teeter representatives, site coordinators, students, and the media for the celebration. Attendees got a firsthand look at how CIS site coordinators work inside schools every day — removing barriers and connecting students with the relationships and resources they need to thrive.

“Harris Teeter to this day, I consider it to be my hometown grocery store,” said Men Tchaas Ari, President and CEO of Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. “It really is something special when a family is checking out, and they know that Harris Teeter is behind education. This is more than a check; this is advocacy.” 

Making a difference a few cents at a time 

The funds raised will be donated to 19 CIS affiliates, including CIS of the Nation’s Capital, CIS of Delaware, CIS of Jacksonville, and CIS of South Carolina, ensuring students have access to the CIS model of integrated student supports and a supportive, trained site coordinator by their side

This donation from Harris Teeter made it possible for our students to know that others care and that there’s a community partnership showing empathy and love.

-Karen Neal,  CIS Site Coordinator, Bruns Avenue Elementary

Partnerships like this one are how CIS continues to scale nationwide. What began as a few cents rounded up at checkout transforms into a site coordinator who shows up for a student, a family connected to essential services, and ultimately — a high school graduate.