Registration is open for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center’s holiday programs, which provided Thanksgiving groceries, holiday meal gift cards and children’s gifts to thousands of Newport County residents last year.
Registration is in person only and requires a photo ID, proof of Newport County residency and proof of household size. Thanksgiving registration closes Friday, Nov. 13. Registration for holiday meals and Santa’s Workshop closes Friday, Dec. 11.
Where and when to register
- MLK Community Center, 20 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Blvd., Newport — Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m.
- MLK North End Food Pantry, 120 Hillside Ave., Newport — Mondays, 3 to 5 p.m., and Tuesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon.
The programs serve residents of Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Jamestown, Tiverton and Little Compton.
What the programs provide
The Thanksgiving program provides a turkey and the ingredients for a holiday meal. Last year it reached 2,450 people from 974 families, according to the center.
For Christmas, the center provides supermarket gift cards rather than set groceries, so families can prepare their own traditional meals. In 2025, that program served 3,306 people from 1,056 families.
At Santa’s Workshop, parents choose toys for children from infancy through age 11, and gift cards for ages 12 to 17. The center provided gifts for 1,350 children last year.
“The holiday season is a stressful time for so many in our community, and this year will be even more so,” said Heather Hole Strout, the center’s executive director. “We’re all coping with the high cost of food and fuel, but the people we serve are hit especially hard.”
“These three programs show what the MLK does best, linking people who want to help with people who need help,” she said. “Without broad community support from volunteers and cash and toy donations, the holidays would be a tremendous burden for hundreds of local families.”
The MLK Community Center helped more than 9,000 people last year, the most in its history, according to the organization.
Information on receiving help or volunteering is at mlkccenter.org/holiday-help, or contact Erin Patel at 401-846-4828.
