PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth United Methodist Church, the Herren Project and Meals on Wheels are among the nonprofit organizations that will share nearly $300,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation’s Newport County Fund (NCF). 

The funding will support a host of activities ranging from emergency housing and distance learning to food pantries and job training.

“In a time marked by the impact of COVID-19 on everyday life, we’re fortunate to have the resources to assist organizations that are on the frontlines of leading the recovery here,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “We are grateful for the donors who make it possible for us to support nonprofits that are well-positioned to respond every day to community needs, particularly in this uniquely challenging period.”

Portsmouth United Methodist Church received $2,500 to support its work providing free vegetables and herbs to senior citizens and people in need and distributing vases of flowers to local nursing facilities. Last year, the organization harvested 5,455 pounds of food at its community garden in Middletown, which was more than 2019 despite the pandemic.

“We are dedicated to providing organic vegetables and herbs to people in need and all seniors who cannot afford to purchase them, especially now during this pandemic with so many people out of work,” said Linda Wood, coordinator. “Community gardening plays an important role in motivating individuals physically, mentally and spiritually and is an educational tool to teach children that healthy eating can be fun and taste good. 

“This year, with the pandemic hopefully turning the corner, we are mainly focusing on more production of vegetables and herbs to distribute on Aquidneck Island. We are optimistic about reopening the Farm Stands again. Our plans are big ‘plant twice as much, harvest twice as much.’ We have a clear vision and a path to get there.”

The funding will support the purchase of a second golf cart.

“Our core group is now in their 70s-80s range in age and the garden is becoming larger each year,” Ms. Wood explained. “Also, with our large volunteer student groups, less time would be required for their trips to the compost piles or bringing the harvest of vegetables to the shed for weighing, separating for the Farm Stands or bagging in separate areas.”

The Herren Project in Portsmouth received $10,000 to fund outreach efforts to raise awareness of the organization’s support services available to residents and their families who might be affected by substance use disorder. Individual and family services include online family support groups, online recovery meetings, free consultations with a clinical social worker, and treatment navigation.

Meals on Wheels received $5,000 to support its work providing home-delivered meals to seniors and other homebound adults in Newport County communities. In 2020, organization served nearly 30,000 meals, a nearly 30-percent increase compared to 2019.

“Every meal delivery represents a time when a client received a vital well-being check and a critical opportunity for socialization that directly works to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness associated with their homebound status," said Meghan Grady, executive director.

The organization’s Home-Delivered Meal Program directly addresses the issues of food insecurity, safety and social isolation that are linked to negative health outcomes and loss of independent living for homebound adults.

“Our overall goal is to enable Newport County seniors and other homebound residents to remain living independently in their own homes for as long as possible,” said Ms. Grady.

The other recipients include Aquidneck Community Table, Child & Family of Newport County, Sankofa Community Connection in Newport and the YMCA of Newport County. The full list of recipients is posted at rifoundation.org.

About the awards

The NCF awards grants of up $10,000 to strengthen or expand established programs, to support policy or advocacy efforts on behalf of community concerns, to fund new projects that focus on significant problems or opportunities, and to leverage strategic collaborations and partnerships. In making the funding decisions, the Foundation worked with an advisory committee comprised of residents from every community in Newport County.

Established in 2002, the NCF has awarded nearly $5 million in grants for programs and services for residents of Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth and Tiverton. It is just one of the grant programs that enable the Foundation to serve Newport County communities.

For more information, visit rifoundation.org.