KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Just days before the start of the new school year, Addition Financial Credit Union and the Addition Financial Foundation have completed a newly renovated student support center at Discovery Intermediate School in Osceola County as part of the organization’s expanding Renovate to Educate initiative.
Discovery Intermediate was one of five Central Florida schools selected for the 2026 program, which creates welcoming, school-based resource centers stocked with food, clothing, hygiene products, and other everyday essentials for students and families facing homelessness or financial hardship.
The initiative expanded this year to serve five schools across Central Florida, including campuses in Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Lake, and Volusia counties. According to local school district data, more than 20,000 students across those five counties are currently experiencing homelessness, underscoring the growing need for school-based support services.
Throughout the summer, Addition Financial employees volunteered their time to transform the Discovery Intermediate support center by painting, assembling furniture, organizing supplies, decorating the space, and stocking shelves before students return to class.
Working in partnership with Seminole State College’s Interior Design Program, the organization customized each school’s resource center to meet the specific needs of its students and families.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and reach their full potential, but learning becomes incredibly difficult when a child is worried about where their next meal is coming from or whether they have clean clothes or basic hygiene items,” said Cristina Lehman, executive director of the Addition Financial Foundation. “These spaces are about creating a trusted resource students and families know they can depend on during difficult times while providing the dignity, compassion and sense of belonging every child deserves.”
The 2026 initiative also marked the first time a coalition of local businesses joined the effort, collectively contributing more than $10,000 to help furnish, decorate, and stock the five support centers.
Each renovated space provides students and families with free access to essential items in a welcoming environment while allowing school staff to respond quickly and discreetly when unexpected hardships arise.
Originally launched in 2018 as a classroom makeover program honoring outstanding teachers, Addition Financial’s Renovate to Educate initiative evolved in 2025 to focus on creating permanent school support centers designed to serve entire school communities. The newly renovated resource center at Discovery Intermediate School was unveiled Friday, just ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
