ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — In a time when many kids are focused on summer vacation, 10-year-old Andrew Lijoi and his sister, Vanessa, are focused on something else— giving back.
WATCH BELOW: 'There’s so many kids out there that need stuff,' Lisa Ionno says
Their goal? To help families struggling to afford school supplies a cost that’s been rising steadily for years.
“Our goal is to reach 100 bookbags filled with school supplies,” Andrew Lijoi said.
For him, the mission starts with his homemade lemonade which he calls “state-of-the-art.”
“Very good,” he said.
But his recipe?
“I can’t tell you that,” he remarked.
What his mother can tell you is how that lemonade is helping local families.
“If you bring out school donations, you will get a glass of free lemonade,” Lisa Ionno said.
Donations can be dropped off at Pistachio’s Ice Cream and Gelato in Port St. Lucie, and the need is very real.
According to the 2024 National Retail Federation, the average family spent over $890 on back-to-school supplies a record high. That’s up nearly $200 in just the last four years.
“There’s so many kids out there that need stuff. And when I was down and out, people did for me,” Ionno said. “So now it’s time to pay it back.”
Andrew’s sister, Vanessa, is putting her own spin on the effort too, making handmade bracelets for the back-to-school giveaway event later this summer.
“We will also be having bracelets at the back-to-school event,” Vanessa Lijoi said.
The siblings have partnered with Hope Warriors inc.-- a nonprofit that supports families coping with serious medical challenges. They know that struggling with one hardship often comes with others like not being able to afford school supplies.
“To be able to give back after going through so much it’s really impactful,” Alanna Ippolito of Hope Warriors inc. said.
Andrew and Vanessa Lijoi may have started with a goal of 100 backpacks but with your help, that number could double.
Hope Warriors told me this early start is just the beginning of what could be a community-wide impact.
