The Rhode Island Foundation awarded $375,000 in grants to sixty-two nonprofit organizations in Newport County to support anything from food pantries and arts programs to housing aid and educational initiatives.
The money is provided by the Newport County Fund of the foundation, which awards grants of up to $10,000 to support new initiatives, improve current programs, and build community relationships in Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, and Tiverton.
The president and CEO of the foundation, David N. Cicilline, said, “We are fortunate to be able to help our partners carry out their critical work.” We are appreciative of the committed supporters that enable us to assist nonprofit organizations who are actively addressing the needs of their local communities.
Among the recipients are youth development organizations like the Newport County YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County, as well as organizations that provide for basic necessities like the Little Compton Food Bank and the Jamestown Community Food Pantry. Funding was also given to cultural institutions such as the Jamestown Arts Center, Newport Classical, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
In order to fund its Anchor Academy, a rigorous leadership program for roughly 20 freshmen at Middletown High School, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County were awarded $5,000. The eight-week skills training component of the program, which runs from October to April, culminates with peer leaders assisting incoming freshmen with their transition to high school.
According to Bill Parks, interim executive director, our program tackles the difficulties that many young people have when they make the crucial transition from middle to high school. A student’s success in high school and beyond is frequently influenced by their experiences during their first year.
In its supportive housing program, which collaborates with the Newport Housing Authority to offer reasonably priced apartments to up to 12 families each year, Child & Family was awarded $10,000 for case management services. To assist families in finding long-term housing and avoiding contact with the child protection system, the program provides wraparound services.
“Our program’s success in keeping families together and keeping kids out of the expensive child welfare system is due to our focus on connecting families to care,” said Susan Jacobson, president and CEO of the organization.
$10,000 was donated to the Jamestown Community Food Pantry to help defray the growing cost of food. Last year, the charity provided assistance to 167 people in 86 households, delivering over 1,900 items each month on average through 467 pantry visits.
“The cost of stocking our shelves continues to be a challenge to our budget,” said Deborah Nordstrom, president of the pantry. Many of our clients are shut-ins or lack dependable transportation, so without our assistance, the poor in Jamestown would have to cross one of the bridges to another food bank.
$10,000 was awarded to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center for need-based preschool scholarships for kids from working, low-income households. In order to fill the shortage of preschools on Aquidneck Island, the center opened a third classroom in September and can accommodate up to 45 children between the ages of three and five.
RhodySquash, an after-school program for students in grades four through eight that combines squash instruction with tutoring and mentoring, was awarded $7,500 to the Newport County YMCA. Students with financial, academic, or psychosocial needs are the program’s target audience.
To support its Jamestown Village and Aquidneck Island Village chapters, which assist senior citizens in maintaining their independence and level of activity, the Village Common of Rhode Island received a $5,650 grant. While Jamestown Village has 27 volunteers and 19 members, the Aquidneck Island chapter has 57 volunteers servicing 64 members.
Educational institutions like Newport Community School and Salve Regina University, environmental organizations like the Norman Bird Sanctuary and Newport Tree Conservancy, and cultural organizations like the Rhode Island Black Storytellers and Newport Contemporary Ballet are among the other recipients.
An advisory committee made up of citizens from each municipality in Newport County provided feedback on the funding. The Newport County Fund has given out over $6 million in awards since it was founded in 2002. Since 2023 alone, the Rhode Island Foundation has awarded gifts totaling almost $12 million to nonprofit organizations in Newport County.
The Rhode Island Foundation bills itself as Rhode Island’s biggest and most extensive nonprofit organization funder.
You can find the full list of awardees at atrifoundation.org.
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