Newport Restaurant Group (NRG) has announced that it has donated $71,142 to local nonprofits as a result of its annual, year-round gift card program, exceeding last year’s fundraising total by more than $7,000.
Through the program, $2.00 from every gift card purchase is donated to area nonprofits fighting food insecurity. Since the program’s inception in 2019, more than $285,000 has been distributed to local agencies.
“We are grateful to again partner with so many incredible organizations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts that make such a significant impact within our local communities,” said Mick Lamond, President and Chief Executive Officer of Newport Restaurant Group. “Supporting their work is an honor, and certainly an annual highlight for all of us. Thank you to our loyal guests who support this program year after year; without their participation, this program would not be possible.”
The 2024 recipients include the Aquidneck Community Table, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, RI Community Food Bank, and Hope’s Harvest in Rhode Island, and the Brookline Food Pantry, The Food Project, and Centre Street Food Pantry in Massachusetts.
“Last year, the MLK Center’s hunger relief programs provided more than 1.1 million meals to our community and we are on track to surpass that number this year,” said Heather Hole Strout, Executive Director of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center. “For seven years and counting, the generosity of patrons and employee-owners of the Newport Restaurant Group helps us stock our food pantry and Mobile Food Pantry to bring fresh, nutritious food throughout Newport County, deliver food to homebound seniors, and help make our onsite hot meal programs possible. We are so grateful for this partnership and all it provides for our community.”
“ACT is laser focused on building a strong, fair and resilient food system on Aquidneck Island,” said Rose Jones, Executive Director, Aquidneck Community Table (ACT). “We are so fortunate to have amazing collaborators, like the Newport Restaurant Group, who make this work possible. We so appreciate the Group’s continued and generous support of our mission and impact in the community.”
In addition to the financial support, NRG employee owners volunteer with these organizations throughout the year in a variety of ways, from collecting non-perishable food items for the RI Community Food Bank to preparing and serving dinners at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, to harvesting surplus fruits and vegetables at local farms that are distributed to hunger relief agencies through a partnership with Hope’s Harvest.
The 2025 gift card program is ongoing, and gift cards can be purchased at any NRG property or online at www.newportrestaurantgroup.com.