Kylie Adolf knows what it takes to run a successful second-grade classroom. She needs jump ropes. Tissues. Colorful paper. Puzzles. A princess puzzle is always a good idea.

But the Omaha second-grade teacher can't request those supplies from her school and expect to find them in her supply closet the next week. There are no funds in the budget for that.

Instead, she spends her own money out of her teacher's paycheck. Instead, she posts to Facebook and asks friends and strangers for help.

"My dream is to create a safe, functional space that kids know they are loved and cared for," Adolf wrote t...