Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) has recently awarded $23,500 in grants to organizations on Aquidneck Island through its charitable support of nonprofits across the state. The grants will help fund programs for youth and adults across Newport County.
The organizations to receive grants are Art Connection, Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, East Bay Community Action Program, Looking Upwards, Lucy’s Hearth, Newport Contemporary Ballet, the Newport County YMCA, Newport String Project, Potter League for Animals, and Star Kids Scholarship Program.
“Supporting our community and funding programs that make a difference for Rhode Islanders is always a priority for all of us at BankRI,” said Will Tsonos, the Bank’s President and CEO. “There are many ways in which nonprofits not only help lift up our neighbors during tough times, but also enrich quality of life in our state – it’s important they have the resources to continue doing their important work.”
The funds donated by BankRI will help organizations deliver a range of programs, including summer camp scholarships, educational opportunities, services for the unhoused, and resources for individuals with developmental disabilities and special healthcare needs.
Additional beneficiaries of the funding include enabling 146 first-grade students from Pell Elementary School to attend a Newport Contemporary Ballet matinee performance, and supporting Newport String Project’s Creative Youth Development program, which provides free violin, viola, and cello instruction to local children in kindergarten through high school.
BankRI’s grants to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and to East Bay Community Action will help combat hunger and support each organization’s emergency food program. Funding to Potter League for Animals will help the organization provide spay and neuter procedures, deliver crucial medical care to pets, and find homes for adoptable animals.