Meeting This Moment: Why Eckerd Connects Is Uniquely Positioned to Serve and Solve

August 26, 2025

For 56 years, Eckerd Connects has stood quietly but powerfully at the crossroads of service and solutions. Founded by Jack and Ruth Eckerd, our mission has always been rooted in the belief that people deserve a chance to rewrite their story—whether they are a young adult preparing for a career, a parent striving to provide for their family, or a child in need of safety and stability.

Today, at a time when nonprofits nationwide are facing challenges, Eckerd Connects is in a remarkable, unique position. We’re one of the few national nonprofits of our size that not only provides direct services, but also helps solve systemic problems in workforce development, job training, and family stability.

As Michael D. Smith, our President & CEO, shared recently:

“Nothing can replace federal investment in nonprofits, but this moment challenges us to do more than just keep services afloat. Our job is to remove barriers, build trust, and create pathways to opportunity. That’s what makes Eckerd Connects not just a server, but a solver.”

Community-Based Services: Honoring Our Legacy Through Innovation and Care

At Eckerd Connects, community isn’t just where we work—it’s who we serve and why we exist. For over 50 years, our community-based services have walked alongside children, parents, and families across Florida, North Carolina, Kansas, and Louisiana, helping them find stability in moments of crisis and strength in times of change. This work is more than a legacy—it’s a living promise to adapt, innovate, and deliver care where it matters most.

Each year, through programs like foster care, Early Head Start, homelessness outreach, juvenile justice wraparound, and therapeutic camps, we serve nearly 11,000 children and families—all anchored in their own communities.

Because we are a nonprofit, every dollar we receive is reinvested into enhancing programs and amplifying impact, not into corporate overhead. That means stronger services, deeper reach, and better outcomes.

Here’s how that reinvestment shows up:

Foster & Therapeutic Care—In North Carolina and Kansas, we train, license, and support both traditional and therapeutic foster families—educating parents to become not just caregivers, but mentors who help heal trauma, promote family preservation, and guide children toward reunion or adoption.
Juvenile Justice & Whole-Family Support—Across our community-based services, including juvenile justice and residential academies for both boys and girls, we use functional family therapy, vocational training, and high school equivalency programs to help at-risk youth exit the justice system successfully and reenter their communities with the tools to thrive.
Specialized and School-Based Programs—Our models include child-centered initiatives like CARING for Children—which supports over 500 children and families annually with emergency shelter, therapeutic support, and community services—and E‑Nini‑Hassee, a therapeutic camp for girls that fosters healing in an outdoor setting.
Comprehensive Prevention & Family Services—From Early Head Start of Tampa, to neighborhood-based mental health and addiction recovery in Louisiana, to school-based prevention and supportive visitation services in Florida— our programs meet families at their point of need, working hand-in-hand to build stability, resilience, and lasting empowerment.

“Our nonprofit model means every dollar circles back into strengthening communities—whether that’s training foster parents, sponsoring scholarships, or growing prevention programs where they matter most,” says Ana Lewis, Senior Vice President of Community-Based Services.

“Every child deserves not just safety, but the tools to build a brighter future. That’s what we provide every day,” adds Jason Skeens, Vice President of Community-Based Services.

Workforce Development: Aligning People and Jobs

We serve over 21,000 youth and adults directly and reach 250,000 job seekers through our One-Stop Centers every year. That scale places us among the largest nonprofit providers of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act—WIOA-funded workforce programs in the nation.

But it’s not just about numbers—it’s about impact.

Take Marcus, a single father who came to one of our centers in search of stability. With coaching, training, and a transportation stipend, Marcus earned an IT credential and secured a job that now allows him to provide for his family with dignity. His story reflects what makes Eckerd Connects unique: as a nonprofit, every dollar we earn is reinvested back into our programs and communities—not to shareholders, but to innovation and people like Marcus.

Consider our partnership with CVS Health, which recently opened its new Workforce Innovation and Talent Center in Columbus, Ohio. Together, we are preparing young adults for pharmacy technician careers, blending classroom learning with externships and hands-on training. This partnership reflects the best of what’s possible when nonprofits and employers collaborate: students gain marketable skills, employers find a prepared talent pipeline, and communities benefit from higher-wage, stable careers.

We’re also investing in technology to reach individuals in the ways that work best for them. Our clients, participants, and staff connect through a mobile app that works like a career compass—helping youth and adults track their progress in real time, set career goals, and connect instantly to local resources like transportation, child care, or training opportunities. These innovations ensure our workforce programs don’t just provide services; they create sustainable solutions that adapt to the needs of the people we serve.

“We meet people where they are and equip them for where they want to go. That’s how we move from service to solution,” says Jonathan Ziegler, Senior Vice President of Workforce Development.

Job Corps: Building Futures, Not Just Careers

As the only national nonprofit operating Job Corps campuses, Eckerd Connects takes a youth-first approach to preparing the next generation of the American workforce. Each year, more than 3,000 young people choose Job Corps to gain the skills, confidence, and support they need to succeed.

But our commitment goes far beyond classrooms and workshops. Because we are a nonprofit, every dollar is reinvested directly into our programs and people:

Staff Training – We equip our instructors, counselors, and support staff with advanced training in trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing. These approaches ensure that students not only learn technical skills but also receive the empathy, encouragement, and personalized coaching needed to overcome barriers.
Technology & Innovation – We are piloting virtual reality (VR) headsets across all phases of Job Corps. These tools allow students to safely explore careers in welding, healthcare, construction, and IT before stepping into a lab or job site—and help them practice life skills like interviewing or conflict resolution in a supportive, simulated environment.
Local Economic Impact – Job Corps is more than a career training program; it’s an engine for local economies. Our students train in high-demand fields, fill critical labor shortages, and return to their communities as skilled workers. Each campus partners with, on average, 50 local, regional, and national employers, creating pipelines that strengthen both businesses and communities.

“At Job Corps, we don’t just train workers—we grow leaders. By combining technical training with resilience, support, and real-world experience, we’re preparing young people to step confidently into the workforce and strengthen the communities around them,” says Thomas Rainey, Senior Vice President of Job Corps Operations.

Why This Moment Matters

Eckerd Connects has stood the test of time, evolving boldly through decades of change—always creating the right programs, at the right moment, to open doors of opportunity.

Today’s moment demands more than resilience; it demands innovation, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to impact. That’s why we’re investing in public-private partnerships with companies like CVS Health, Amazon, Disney, and Huntington Ingalls Industries. It’s why we’re lifting up student and family stories so policymakers and communities understand the stakes. And it’s why we remain hopeful—even in the face of challenges.

“Hope, faith, and works define this moment for us,” adds Smith. “We’re not only helping individuals—we’re strengthening the systems that support them. That’s what it means to be both a server and a solver.”

The road ahead isn’t easy. But at Eckerd Connects, we believe that 56 years of experience, paired with innovation and deep partnerships, uniquely equips us to rise to this moment.

Partner with us. Hire our graduates. Support our programs.

Together, we can keep empowering potential and building careers—for everyone.

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