Foundation awards year-end emergency grants totaling $300K

Foundation President & CEO Neil D. Steinberg is flanked by emergency community grant recipients (l to r) Susan Bodington, chair, Emergency Winter Shelter Task Force; Andrew Schiff, CEO, Rhode Island Community Food Bank; Michael Tondra, chief, Rhode Island Office of Housing and Community Development; Lt. John Luby, Providence County coordinator of the Rhode Island Good Neighbor Fund at the Salvation Army.

With more than 14.7% of the state’s population food insecure and more first-time clients seeking assistance for heating and shelter, the Foundation today announced $300,000 in year-end grants to help organizations providing emergency assistance to Rhode Island families and individuals and inspire others to give. This is the fourth year the Foundation has awarded emergency grants to assist people who are struggling with basic needs such as food, heating assistance, and housing.

The Rhode Island Foundation is awarding $100,000 to The Rhode Island Community Food Bank, $100,000 to the Rhode Island Good Neighbor Energy Fund at the Salvation Army, and $100,000 to the Rhode Island Emergency Winter Shelter Task Force, which includes the following area shelters:

• Crossroads Rhode Island
• Emmanuel House
• Harvest Community Church
• Mathewson Street Church
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church
• Westerly Area Rest and Meals (WARM)
• Aquidneck Island Area shelters

“People who previously sent in a contribution around this time every year are now seeking assistance for the first time as clients. Just one devastating set-back, such as a job loss or a death in a family, can put people in a precarious position when it comes to paying for heat, food, or shelter,” said Lt. John Luby, Providence County Coordinator of the Salvation Army, which oversees the Good Neighbor Fund. “We assist families who do not qualify for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and last year nearly 1,400 households reached out to us for assistance. Unfortunately, we anticipate requests to increase this winter and this emergency grant will enable us to help approximately 300 families this winter. We cannot thank The Rhode Island Foundation enough for this generous donation but I also want to emphasize that no gift is too small due to the unprecedented need we are seeing.”

“The Foundation’s grantmaking typically focuses on long term solutions to the challenges facing Rhode Island. In this extended time of great need, however, our board felt it was important to provide emergency funds to help keep people healthy, safe, and warm this winter thereby preventing additional problems. We urge others in our community to give, particularly in the face of severe budget cuts, to help Rhode Islanders in need. Many have been struggling for years while others need assistance for the first time. We make these grants to inspire increased giving.” said Neil Steinberg, president and CEO of the Foundation.

Rhode Island's Emergency Shelter Task Force proposes a capacity of 272 beds during the winter months and the Foundation's grant will provide the additional funding needed to ensure this capacity in FY12.

"These funds will be used in conjunction with other resources, assuring that persons and families experiencing homelessness in Rhode Island have adequate shelter during the harsh winter months. The Rhode Island Foundation's contribution and commitment to this effort is highly commendable,” said Michael Tondra, Chief-Office of Housing and Community Development, Rhode Island.

“This major gift from The Rhode Island Foundation comes at a critical time and will help us provide nutritious food to our neighbors in need,” says Andrew Schiff, Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “Every dollar donated to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank enables us to acquire more than three pounds of healthy food. We can then distribute that food to our 163 emergency food programs around the state, including food pantries, community meal sites, transitional housing, and shelters.”

Schiff noted that since the start of the recession four years ago, the number of people served at emergency food pantries has increased by 58%. The Rhode Island Community Food Bank currently serves more than 60,000 Rhode Islanders every month through its statewide network of food pantries. One in three persons served by the Food Bank is a child under the age of 18.