Weekly Update: April 17, 2020

Supporting Students and Teachers During this Unprecedented Time
Janice Kershaw
Brevard Schools Foundation, President/CEO
Phase I: By the Numbers
A Snapshot of How Your Donations to BSF are Helping Our Most Vulnerable Kids

Next Phase: Partnering with Our Community

As our community moves through this crisis, Brevard Schools Foundation is looking ahead to anticipate the needs of our local students and teachers. Over the next few weeks, we will be partnering with various service organizations to leverage our ability to reach students who still need help.

On Saturday, April 25, we will be working with State Representative Randy Fine and his staff to distribute 500 "family packs" to those in-need. These kits, valued at $30,833, will contain school supplies and basic hygiene items for each household.

Additionally, we are working with the Second Harvest Food Bank to distribute $6,555 worth of at-home learning kits for students at three community sites: Cocoa PAL, Club Esteem and Carver Park. Details are also in the works with the Boys & Girls Club to distribute at-home kits to those students, a retail value of $4,370.

More information about these partnerships are forthcoming. Please watch your email and our Facebook page for the latest news.
BSF and Office Depot Offer Teacher Mini Grants
With funds raised from the community, Brevard Schools Foundation and Office Depot are offering $15,000 in Critical Needs Mini Grants to Brevard teachers. In a recent survey conducted by the Foundation, local teachers indicated that they needed additional equipment such webcams,headphones, printer ink and similar items in order to meet the immediate teaching demands.

Applications from teachers have been flooding in! Three hundred BPS teachers will receive $50 in Office Depot credit to purchase the supplies they need for for their distance learning initiative.
Truist Donates
$30,000 for Student Connectivity & Urgent Needs
Brevard Schools Foundation was awarded $30,000 as part of the Truist Cares charitable grant program which supports technology initiatives with an emphasis on youth, seniors and small businesses. This initiative is intended to cover the short and long-term needs of communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. $27,000 of the grant is earmarked for student connectivity and $3,000 is designated for other immediate needs.

“We are pleased to be able to connect Truist Charitable Foundation with the school district’s student connectivity needs. As the nonprofit direct-support organization for Brevard Public Schools, BSF is able to secure funds through grants or private sources to support important needs like this,” said Janice Kershaw, BSF President/CEO. “This funding is especially critical during this time as it helps our most in-need students continue their education while schools are closed. We are grateful to the Truist Charitable Foundation for stepping up to help students in Brevard.”
BSF Board & Volunteers Spring Into Action to Assist Students
Our amazing team of BSF board members and volunteers truly "walk the talk" when it comes to serving students in need! We are beyond grateful for their assistance in helping to get supplies and aid into the hands of kids who need it the most during this crisis.

A shout-out to the following for pitching in over the past few weeks:

Packing Volunteers
Michel & Mike Considine
Dana Morgan
Robin & Mike Covello
Jackie Francisco
MJ Waters

Distribution Volunteers
Robin & Mike Covello
Alex LaFortune
Mike LaFortune- BSF Board Chairman
Barbi Miller- BPS Teacher
Richard Miller- BSF Board Member
Dana Morgan
Cordell Rolle- BSF Board Member
Karen Rousseau-BPS Head Start
Matt Susin- BPS School Board Member
Wharton Smith: Avery Eubank, Joshua Shroyer, and Rowdy Miller
Cassie Williams
BPS Homeless Liaisons

Wharton-Smith, Inc. supports Brevard Schools Foundation in so many ways. Recently they sent a team of their employees to help with distribution of supplies to Fairglen Elementary, Mila Elementary and Audubon Elementary.
Their mighty employees, Avery Eubank, Joshua Shroyer, and Rowdy Miller brought the brawn to transport kits to these locations.

"We were very fortunate to have the support of Wharton-Smith for our relief efforts. Their employees volunteered to distribute relief kits every single day that distributions were held," said Supply

Zone Program Manager Elizabeth Schrieber.

"These generous individuals showed up first thing every morning, manually loaded hundreds of kits into their vehicles, and then spent hours standing in the hot sun in order to give these kits to children in need. Their compassion and dedication to our most vulnerable students is truly commendable."

CARES Act Opens Doors for
Charitable Giving
These are difficult times for everyone. We find ourselves in uncharted waters while the demand for services for our students continues to grow. In order to keep fulfilling our mission, we need your help now more than ever!
 
We want to let you know about a few key provisions of the new CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, which are designed to incentivize charitable giving:

The new law temporarily suspends the requirements for required minimum distributions (RMD) for the 2020 tax year. This probably comes as a relief to many of you who would have had to withdraw a greater percentage of your retirement accounts. Many of our donors use their RMD to make a gift from their IRA. If you are 70½ or older, you can still make a gift from your IRA or name us as a beneficiary. In addition, there are some new ways you can receive financial benefits and help organizations like us.

The new law allows all taxpayers to take a charitable deduction of up to $300, even if you do not itemize . You might think that this is a small deduction and would not make a difference. But what if everyone gave $300? Such support would have a huge impact on those we serve!

For those who do itemize their deductions, the new law allows for cash contributions to qualified charities such as ours to be deducted up to 100% of your adjusted gross income for the 2020 calendar year. 

Please see your tax adviser to learn how these provisions fit into your financial plans.
  
We are so grateful for your generosity, which touches—and changes—so many lives. Please click below if you would like to make a donation today or contact us to discuss how your gift can help further our mission.
 
If you would like to help local students in-need continue their education during this uncertain time, please consider a donation of any size. Together, we can change lives!

Donations can also be made by calling our office at:
321-633-1000 ext. 11454
or checks can be mailed to:
Brevard Schools Foundation
2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way
Viera, FL 32940-6601