INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Education Foundation of Indian River County is pleased to announce that more than $20,000 in school supplies and backpacks are being delivered to public Indian River County elementary, middle and high schools.
The first objective of the Foundation was to provide much needed supplies to students, thereby enabling them to better prepare for the academic challenges they would face in the coming school year. The second objective is to take the financial burden from teachers who used their personal funds to purchase school supplies for needy children.
In 2008 the Education Foundation reached out to area partners to create the “County-wide School Supply Drive.” Philanthropic dollars were raised to provide backpacks and school supplies for children in need. The schools serve as the distribution point to students in need. Each year more than 2,000 school supply kits are distributed by public schools in Indian River County. The Free and Reduced Lunch report is used as a means of qualifying children in need.
Parents and guardians of children in need should contact the office at their child’s school. Backpacks are then distributed during school orientations and the first week of the school year. School phone numbers can be found by visiting the school district website: www.indianriverschools.org.
The Program is supported by private donations and proceeds from the License for Learning tag revenues, Publix Super Market Charities, George E. Warren Corporation, Community Church of Vero Beach, SeacoastBank, School District of Indian River County Employees (Denim Days Fund), David Chiropractic, the Exchange Club of Vero Beach, the Sebastian Elks Lodge #2714 and private donations.
A donation of $20 provides a backpack filled with grade appropriate supplies. The Foundation also accepts donations of: wide ruled notebook paper, 8 or 10 packs of markers – chisel tip, Fisker blunt tip scissors, Expo dry erase markers – chisel tip, 12 pack of colored pencils, Ticonderoga #2 pencils, 24 piece crayon box, glue sticks, and backpacks.
Donated supplies will be built into supply kits for children in need.
Cash and kind donations can be made by calling the Education Foundation of Indian River County Office: (772) 0034 or by mailing a check made payable to the Education Foundation of IRC, P.O. Box 7046, Vero Beach, FL 32961. Please note in the memo of the check “Backpacks.” Donations can also be made on-line: www.edfoundationirc.org.
The School Supply Fund program began as a pilot program in 1995 in response to a series of articles in the Press Journal.