LEESBURG — Leesburg Elementary is one of four Central Florida schools starting the new school year with a newly transformed “needs space” thanks to the Addition Financial Foundation’s 2025 Renovate to Educate project. These upgraded pantries and resource rooms are designed to support homeless and low-income students and their families by providing essential items in a welcoming and organized environment.
This year’s initiative marks a significant evolution in the Renovate to Educate program. Originally focused on free classroom makeovers for deserving teachers, the program now concentrates on creating or enhancing “needs spaces” – dedicated areas within schools stocked with food, clothing, toiletries and other vital supplies.
The Foundation partnered with Seminole State College’s Interior Design Program to assess each school’s specific needs and worked closely with school administrators to bring each space to life. Throughout the summer, dozens of volunteers from Addition Financial Credit Union donated their time and talent -- painting, building furniture, organizing and stocking resources, and even laying new flooring in one school -- to ensure these spaces were ready for the start of the school year.
The 2025 Renovate to Educate recipients include:
Leesburg Elementary School (Lake County)
Engelwood Elementary School (Orange County)
Millennium Middle School (Seminole County)
Lakeview Elementary School (Osceola County)
Cristina Lehman, Executive Director of the Addition Financial Foundation, emphasized the broader impact of the updated program:
“When we talk about student success, we understand it must go beyond the classroom. These spaces are about meeting basic needs so students can focus on learning. The Addition Financial Foundation is proud to partner with these schools to create environments that offer comfort, support, and dignity to the families who rely on them.”
According to local district data, more than 15,000 students across Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake counties are currently experiencing homelessness. Tens of thousands more students in each county are designated as coming from low-income families, with a household income at our below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL.)
At Leesburg Elementary, 45 students, or 6 percent of students who were enrolled in 2024-25, were designated as homeless.
The Addition Financial Foundation donated more than $4,000 in furniture, décor, and supplies at each school. Each renovated space now serves as a community hub within the school, offering everything from snacks and clothing to personal care items and school supplies, all free of charge to students and their families.
