This story originally appeared in the November 2025 edition of The Coastal Star
The numbers tell a devastating story: three out of every four children who can’t read by the end of third grade will never graduate high school. As founder and president of Roots and Wings, a nonprofit dedicated to improving childhood literacy in Palm Beach County, Ted Hoskinson has seen firsthand how a child’s reading level can shape their entire future. This crisis isn’t abstract or distant; it’s unfolding right here, in our own classrooms, affecting the children who sit in our local schools every single day.
“Third grade is a real marker,” says Hoskinson. “In Palm Beach County, only 54% of third graders passed the state’s FAST reading test last year. Not only can we do better—we must do better.”
Hoskinson, a longtime East Delray Beach resident, founded Roots and Wings in honor of his late wife, Anne, who passed away unexpectedly in 2016. The two shared both a love of education and a vision: to help children gain the foundational skills to dream of what could be, and to achieve it. The couple had even set aside funding in their will to one day bring that dream to life.
When the time came to ensure the organization’s future, Hoskinson turned to the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties—a trusted philanthropic partner known for its longevity, credibility, and connection to the community. With guidance from his financial advisor, Hoskinson established the Roots and Wings Legacy Fund through the Foundation in 2022.
“At the end of the day, when you give through the Community Foundation, you’re not just making a donation—you’re investing in the long-term future of our community,” said Jeffrey A. Stoops, Delray Beach resident and Chair of Community Foundation’s Board of Directors. “We ensure that every dollar entrusted to us is maximized for impact. This means that donors can focus on the causes they care about most, knowing their contributions are being carefully stewarded by an organization they can trust.”
Since its founding in 1972, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties has helped thousands of donors transform their charitable vision into tangible community impact—funding scholarships, strengthening nonprofits, and addressing emerging needs across South Florida. To date, the Foundation has distributed nearly $275 million in grants and scholarships aimed at addressing the area’s opportunity gaps. It has provided grants to more than 3,500 local nonprofit partners, standing as a permanent pillar of hope and progress.
“The impact of our grants cannot be underestimated,” added Danita R. DeHaney, President and CEO of the Community Foundation and longtime Boca Raton resident. “These dollars go directly to the organizations that are on the ground helping our communities in need. They reflect our deep commitment to strengthening nonprofits on the front lines of change.”
For Hoskinson and Roots and Wings, the partnership with the Community Foundation ensures that the nonprofit’s legacy and the dreams of thousands of young readers will continue to grow.
Roots and Wings’ success is made possible by dedicated teachers, administrators, donors, volunteers and partners—chief among them, the Community Foundation. Beyond managing the Legacy Fund, the Foundation has also supported Roots and Wings through its competitive grantmaking program, which awarded over $5.6 million in 2025 to 159 nonprofit organizations. Of those organizations, six (including Roots and Wings) received multi-year grants focused on youth literacy, allowing them to expand their reach into new classrooms and schools.
“Our Community Impact grants represent the very best of what we do at the Community Foundation,” said Julie Fisher Cummings, Chair of the Community Foundation’s Community Impact Committee. “These investments not only support the nonprofits themselves but also inspire confidence in the donors and volunteers who make this work possible.”
