Woonsocket Organizations Awarded $180K in Grants from Rhode Island Foundation

Pictured: Rhode Island Foundation president and CEO Neil Steinberg

Several Woonsocket organizations that fight community issues were awarded a total of $180,011 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation.

The Rhode Island Foundation offers grants to organizations and programs that look to improve the community. The foundation helps organizations across the state to reach their potential through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities.

Northern Rhode Island Area Health Education Center was awarded a $10,300 grant to expand health care options for transgender individuals and to educate doctors, mental health workers and other healthcare providers about the needs of transgender patients.

The Community Care Alliance was awarded a $70,000 grant to grow its psychiatric hospital diversion services at Landmark Medical Center, to improve a care program and to work to reduce inappropriate admissions. The organization was also awarded a second grant of $5,000 to fund housing to prevent homelessness and to offer healthcare products members of the Agape Center.

RiverzEdge Arts was awarded a $10,000 grant to create and develop new communication tools to increase the public’s understanding of the impact of the organization’s work.

Connecting for Children and Families was awarded a $69,711 grant to address education achievement barriers that are prevalent in the Rhode Island Partnership for Community Schools.

The Woonsocket Protein Program was awarded a $15,000 grant to help add protein-rich foods to local churches’ regular food distribution programs.

The RI Foundation awarded $34.8 million in grants in 2014, the most in the organization’s 98-years of existence. The organization said local organizations received a total of almost $600,000.

Other local organizations receiving grants include: Thundermist Health Center, NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, the Woonsocket School Department and the Matthew 25 Center of Hope Outreach Program.