Rhode Island’s MLK Center Delivers on an ‘Audacious’ Goal
Enbridge recently supported the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Newport, RI, with a $7,500 Fueling Futures grant. This non-profit, which has served the community since 1922, provides essential programs like hunger relief, education, and wellness. In 2022, it assisted nearly 6,000 individuals, many of whom are from BIPOC backgrounds. The center's hunger services include a daily hot breakfast and the country's largest food pantry, distributing over 85,000 pounds of produce and 657,240 meals last year. With increasing client numbers due to economic challenges, the MLK Center aims to meet growing community needs with dignity and respect.
- Awarded $7,500 Fueling Futures grant to MLK Center to support its food insecurity efforts.
- Provided over 657,240 meals and 85,000 pounds of produce in 2022.
- Plans to continue expanding operations to meet the rising demand for services.
- Increasing client numbers (20-25% annually) suggests a growing community need amid economic downturn.
- Population living in poverty in Newport is significant, with 40% of children affected.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 14, 2023 / Non-profit delivers life-changing programs-nutrition, education, kinship, wellness-to those in need
A house fire last year sent a Newport, RI, family spiralling. The household situation was already complex. The matriarch, a grandmother, is raising her three grandchildren, one with cystic fibrosis and another with Down's syndrome.
The family sought relief at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, a not-for-profit that has helped people in need in the Newport community since 1922. The 101-year-old center came to the family's aid, putting food on the table and providing Christmas gifts for the kids.
Unexpected hardships often bring new clients to the MLK Center, says executive director Heather Hole Strout. "We try to wrap our arms around individuals and families who need support," she adds.
In 2022, the MLK Center helped nearly 6,000 people through its three main programs: hunger prevention and nutrition, early childhood education, and community support and wellness. More than
The center has seen an annual increase in clients of 20 to
"We live in a place that is known for the rich and famous," she explains. "But what many people don't realize is
To meet the community need, the MLK Center has expanded its hunger relief services. They offer a daily hot breakfast with grab-and-go lunch option, plus sit-down lunches and dinners a few times a week. A grocery delivery program brings healthy food to homebound seniors.
The center also operates the country's largest food pantry, complemented by a mobile version which visits neighborhoods across the community. People can visit the pantries to do their grocery shopping, all free of charge, and select from meat, eggs, milk, fresh produce, non-perishables, household and personal care items, and even pet food. A dietician is available to help with decision-making, too.
In 2022, the MLK Center distributed 85,000 pounds of produce and provided 657,240 meals. Every morsel was funded by grants from foundations and donations from individuals and corporations, including Enbridge. We recently awarded the center a
Enbridge also donated three children's desks built during an employee professional development activity. The desks were included in the MLK Center's Santa's Workshop, a room filled with brand-new toys, gifts, and gift cards, all donated by the community. Parents of more than 1,000 children in need visited the workshop last Christmas to select presents for the holidays.
Both Santa's Workshop and the pantries operate with a client-choice model, Hole Strout notes, meaning that the client gets to choose the items that work best for their family.
"We believe client choice provides more dignity and respect to the people who need to reach out for help," she explains. "We try to make (receiving help) as dignified as possible."
The MLK Center's namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke immortal words in his 1964 acceptance speech of the Nobel Peace Prize: "I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture of their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits," he said.
His words guide the MLK Center's work every day. The center has an audacious mission to deliver life-changing programs to people in need, programs that make the very things MLK desired a reality for people in Newport: education and kinship, dignity and access to healthy food every day.
Whether it be families facing unexpected hardships, seniors feeling the effects of the economic downturn, or immigrants to the region seeking a hospitable community, the MLK Center will persevere to make Newport County the kind of place where everyone can thrive.
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3blmedia.com.
Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Enbridge
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridge
Email: info@3blmedia.com
SOURCE: Enbridge
View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/739321/Rhode-Islands-MLK-Center-Delivers-on-an-Audacious-Goal
FAQ
What recent support did Enbridge provide to the MLK Center?
How many meals did the MLK Center distribute in 2022?
What percentage of clients at the MLK Center are BIPOC?
What challenges is the MLK Center facing?
How does the MLK Center help the community?
