Salve Regina University senior Marissa Intravia volunteers to pack Holiday Baskets at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport . Salve students frequently volunteer their time at the Center. Donations and volunteers are needed to help fill Holiday Baskets for struggling Newport County Families.
NEWPORT, R.I. – Earlier this week, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center distributed more than 150 Thanksgiving Baskets to Newport County families in need.
Non-perishable cans of ham, vegetables, potatoes and more filled the bags along with frozen turkeys or gift cards for turkeys and other holiday food stuffs. The MLK Center works with other Newport County agencies to ensure every family who has requested assistance will receive food and will cross-check lists to ensure no duplication. Jane Maloney, the center’s food services manager, says the center has, not surprisingly, seen an increase in requests this year. “We’ve picked up new families, either who have moved here or who have never asked for help before, and a lot more larger families,” notes Maloney.
The day after Thanksgiving, while many people are headed to the malls and shops for Black Friday sales, volunteers and center staff will be hard at work organizing Holiday Baskets. On Saturday, December 5, volunteers from the MLK teen center will go door-to-door collecting donations of food in Newport.
Now through mid-December, volunteers are needed to help sort, pack and distribute baskets. Most needed items include new, unwrapped toys; gift items or gift cards for children and teens; canned meats/beef stew/chili, canned tuna, salmon, ham, canned and packaged beans, canned fruits and vegetables (including yams, cranberry sauce), gravy, peanut butter and jelly, boxed cereal and hot cereals, rice, pasta, macaroni and cheese, canned or boxed potatoes, cake and muffin mixes, pie crust and biscuit mixes, evaporated or powdered milk, canned juices, canned soups, pudding or gelatin, frozen turkeys, and grocery store gift cards.
Donations can be made at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 20 Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland Blvd, Newport, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. For large drives or drop-offs at other hours, please call Jane Maloney at the Center at 401-846-4828. For more information about the Holiday Basket Program, or to schedule a time to volunteer, please call (401) 846-4828.
Loading ...
Newport, RI
