
This month we are reviewing requests from 26 non-profit organizations in Indian River County totaling $800,532 to fund their various capital projects. Since we don’t have the funds to support all these requests, we will need to make some hard choices this month. A final determination on funding decisions will be announced by the board on March 18th.
One example of the type of capital funding requests we receive is from Childcare Resources of Indian River. This agency was established in 1994 to support economically disadvantaged families in our county who work full-time, go to school full-time, or a combination of both. These families make too much to qualify for state or federally supported childcare programs (earning about $30,000 to $40,000 for a family of 3, for example). Childcare Resources’ goal is to provide quality child care and preparation for kindergarten and beyond.
Last year, we provided Childcare Resources with $50,000 to build a classroom for two-year-olds in their new Education Center, where the agency currently leases 3,800 square feet of space in the former Doctors’ Clinic at 2300 Fifth Avenue in Vero Beach. This year, they have requested $35,794 to furnish the classroom and stock it with age appropriate learning materials. The above photo represents an existing classroom of older children at the Center.
We would like to continue helping the local charities we feel are well-run and providing needed services in our county. Please consider making an additional donation this year to John’s Island foundation.