There is something quietly powerful about a kid walking into a new school year with a backpack that is actually full. This past summer, the iTHINK Community Foundation brought that feeling to children right here on the Treasure Coast through its annual School Ready Days program.
The foundation, whose mission is to improve the lives of children and families in the communities it serves, set out to help over 1,500 kids in need in 2026 with backpacks, school supplies, uniforms and more. Twelve stops were on the schedule across Florida and Georgia, and four of them were on the Treasure Coast.
Photo courtesy of the Economic Opportunities Council of Indian River County. This is a file photo of a Head Start classroom, not a School Ready Days event.
Where did School Ready Days stop?
Vero Beach was part of the effort. The foundation scheduled July 29 and 30 with EOC Head Start Schools here for the kids enrolled there. The rest of the Treasure Coast stretch looked like this:
- July 21: ALPI Child Development, Fort Pierce
- July 22: ALPI Queen Townsend, Fort Pierce
- July 29 and 30: EOC Head Start Schools, Vero Beach
- August 7: LAHIA, Stuart
Other 2026 stops were in Fort Lauderdale, Lake Worth and West Palm Beach, plus five schools in the Georgia communities of Marietta, Forest Park, Smyrna, Mableton and Jasper.
A program that keeps growing
The numbers show how far this has come. When the foundation held its 7th annual School Ready Days in 2023, it provided a backpack and school supplies to over 800 children starting kindergarten across Florida and Georgia. The Treasure Coast was on that list too, with stops at Sebastian Roseland Christian School, Pelican Island Elementary in Sebastian, and Queen Townsend and Garden Terrace Head Start in Fort Pierce. The 2026 goal of over 1,500 kids is nearly double that.
"Knowing that so many children in the communities we serve will be helped makes it all worth it," Stephen Johnson, Director of the iTHINK Community Foundation, said after the 2023 events. "Improving the lives of families is what we strive for as children are our most important assets."
Who are the local partners?
The Economic Opportunities Council of Indian River County, or EOC, has been the leading community action agency here since 1965. Its Early Head Start and Head Start program is free for children from low-income families in Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Early Head Start serves pregnant mothers, infants and toddlers up to age 2, while Head Start prepares children ages 3 to 5 for kindergarten. Children also get health and development screenings, nutritious meals, and oral and mental health support.
EOC says it has graduated over ten thousand Head Start students in its 60 years. One of them runs the program today. Franklin Johnson III attended Head Start as a preschooler, came home to Indian River County in 2006 to teach there, and became Head Start Director in 2019. "Head Start works!" he says.
Photo courtesy of the Economic Opportunities Council of Indian River County.
The Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc., or ALPI, traces its roots to a 1968 project to improve life for farmworkers in Florida's citrus operations, and it has run Head Start for more than 50 years. Its Head Start program serves 3 and 4 year olds from low-income families with early education, health, nutrition and parent involvement.
Photo courtesy of The Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc.
In Stuart, Love and Hope in Action, known as LAHIA, is the only full-service daytime safe haven for people who are unhoused in Martin County. It serves meals twice a day, six days a week, and offers case management, showers, laundry and help finding housing.
Who pays for it?
School Ready Days runs on donations from iTHINK Financial employees and members, along with fundraising through the year. The Treasure Coast has its own share in that. The foundation's 8th Annual Bowl-A-Thon at St. Lucie West Bowlero in October 2025 raised over $16,240 for local kids in need here, with sponsors including Vero Law and Spirit of Sebastian. Proceeds from foundation events go toward causes like local scholarship awards and school supplies for children in need.
How can you help?
You do not have to wait for next summer. Donations can be made any time on the iTHINK Community Foundation page, and the foundation can be reached at 800.873.5100. Locally, EOC is at 2455 St. Lucie Ave, Vero Beach, FL 32960 and 772-562-4177.
The iTHINK Community Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit registered in Florida (Registration #CH47200). Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.
Did you or someone you know benefit from the School Ready Days events this past summer? We would love to hear what it meant for your family. Share your story in the comments on our Facebook post.
My name is Ava Cook and I am a Freshman at Florida Southern College in Lakeland FL. I am currently a B.F.A musical theatre major with a minor in Business Administration. I love reading, singing, acting, dancing, and writing. My favorite part about Vero Beach and Indian River County as a whole is how close the community is. Vero Vine is important to me as it allows me to do my part it bringing the community together also, sharing events, small businesses, and other local happenings. If you have any questions or any recommendations for me, my email is always open [email protected].
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