If you’ve ever taken a class from a great teacher, you know what it’s like to spend an hour with Carrie Lester, CEO of Thrive IRC, Inc. Lester walks through the color-coded halls of the organization’s offices on Fifth Avenue like a college professor who...

In partnership with Vero Beach Magazine, Indian River Community Foundation’s President and CEO, Jeff Pickering, writes a monthly column called Indian River Insights. These articles explore the root causes of community needs, celebrate successes, analyze meaningful solutions, and offer insights into persistent challenges. In the October 2026...

In partnership with Vero Beach Magazine, Indian River Community Foundation’s President and CEO, Jeff Pickering, writes a monthly column called Indian River Insights. These articles explore the root causes of community needs, celebrate successes, analyze meaningful solutions, and offer insights into persistent challenges. In the September 2026...

A link on the county website welcomes newcomers to Indian River, where “A Picture Perfect Paradise Awaits You!” In so many ways, paradise is an apt description. With miles of pristine beaches, an A-rated school district, and top-flight cultural institutions like Riverside Theatre, McKee Botanical...

In partnership with Vero Beach Magazine, Indian River Community Foundation’s President and CEO, Jeff Pickering, writes a monthly column called Indian River Insights. These articles explore the root causes of community needs, celebrate successes, analyze meaningful solutions, and offer insights into persistent challenges. In the August 2026...

In partnership with Vero Beach Magazine, Indian River Community Foundation’s President and CEO, Jeff Pickering, writes a monthly column called Indian River Insights. These articles explore the root causes of community needs, celebrate successes, analyze meaningful solutions, and offer insights into persistent challenges. In the June 2026...

Jeff Francisco If there’s something Jeff Francisco doesn’t know about housing in Indian River County, it probably hasn’t happened or can’t be known. As Chief Strategy Officer at Indian River Habitat for Humanity, President of the Board of Coalition for Attainable Homes, Treasurer of Homeless Services Council, and nonprofit affordable housing representative on the county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, he is uniquely positioned to understand the county's housing...

A lack of affordable rental housing is widely accepted to be one of the biggest needs facing Indian River County. It can be difficult to quantify the shortfall precisely, but local leaders estimate that at least fifteen hundred more units are needed. Eve Kyomya Vendryes...

Siphikelelo Chinyanganya, Indian River County SHIP Administrator, “gets goosebumps” when she recalls the stories of people the program has helped. Since 1993, the SHIP Local Housing Assistance Plan has received more than twenty-six million dollars in state funding and provided 1,460 loans to people with...

In partnership with Vero Beach Magazine, Indian River Community Foundation’s President and CEO, Jeff Pickering, writes a monthly column called Indian River Insights. These articles explore the root causes of community needs, celebrate successes, analyze meaningful solutions, and offer insights into persistent challenges. In the May 2026...