Champlin grants 13 city non-profits $2 million

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 12/11/18

By JOHN HOWELL Thirteen Warwick non-profits are recipients of Champlin Foundation grants totaling $2,080,830 that will enable projects ranging from the construction of two glass meeting rooms in the Warwick Public Library to the purchase of a

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Champlin grants 13 city non-profits $2 million

Posted

Thirteen Warwick non-profits are recipients of Champlin Foundation grants totaling $2,080,830 that will enable projects ranging from the construction of two glass meeting rooms in the Warwick Public Library to the purchase of a seven-passenger van by the House of Hope and a new roof at the Pontiac Free Library.

The grants, ranging from $1,000 to $4.2 million to the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket to build a new pool, are part of the $22 million awarded to 160 area non-profit institutions. Organizations working in animal welfare, arts and culture, education, historic preservation, healthcare, education, social and youth services, as well as libraries and preserving open space received grants.

“The Champlin Foundation is pleased to provide capital funding and other financial support to a broad range of organizations that do so much for the people of Rhode Island. Funding for much-needed infrastructure and equipment will strengthen many vital charities across the state, helping each achieve more…all in service of Rhode Island,” Nina Stack, executive director, said in a statement. “The work of our state’s nonprofits is essential and their needs are great. This year, the foundation received nearly 400 applications in total, requesting over $36 million.”

Even before the foundation issued a press release, some Warwick recipients were sharing the good news.

Lara D’Antuono, executive director of the Warwick Boys and Girls Clubs, said the $138,500 it has received will enable the organization to serve more children as well as boost members’ proficiencies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The funds will purchase equipment for STEM Labs at two of its three sites, Norwood and Oakland Beach, and acquire a new mini-bus.

“Over the years, support from The Champlin Foundation has been critical to our ability to deliver increasingly impactful programs that are appealing to kids by helping them learn in ways that is also fun," D’Antuono said in a statement.

“This latest grant is particularly relevant because the new STEM equipment will increase our ability to reinforce lessons taking place in the schools,” said D’Antuono. “We strongly believe the tech opportunities we will now be able to provide will help build 21st century skills necessary for tomorrow’s economy while igniting boys’ and girls’ interest in lifelong learning.”

“Adding another bus to our fleet,” D’Antuono said, “is also exciting because we are experiencing an increasing demand for services. Adding a fourth, 14-seat vehicle will enable us to transport more children.”

The Warwick Public Library grant of $83,340 will likewise enable that institution to expand services. The grant will be used to build two additional glass meeting rooms, each able to accommodate 25 people, in the library. The rooms will have tables and chairs to accommodate meetings, trainings and discussion groups. Nonprofit groups and city and state agencies will be able to book the rooms free of charge.

“There is a great need for additional meeting space in the library and, luckily, the building is large enough to accommodate the glass rooms. We are grateful to the Champlin Foundation for their support,” library director Chris LaRoux said in a statement.

In addition to the library and the Boys and Girls Clubs, the following Warwick nonprofits received the following grants:

Community College of Rhode Island, $250,000 for the furnishing and equipping of a new digital innovation lab; The Gamm Theatre, $113,180 for the lighting, sound and technical equipment for their new theater in Warwick; Friends Way, $26,430 for parking lot lighting and entryway improvements; Girl Scouts of Southeaster New England, $59,200 for bathroom composting facilities and a golf cart for Camp Cookie and Camp Hoffman; House of Hope, $36,195 for a seven-passenger van; The Kent Center (now called Thrive Behavioral Health), $134,510 for flooring at its Post Road office and furniture at its Health Lane facility; and Kent Hospital, $747,615 for a fluoroscopy diagnostic imaging system.

Also: Ocean State Libraries, $288,390 for new routers and new Windows licenses for member libraries; Pawtuxet Rangers, $11,950 to replace the existing hot water heating system in its armory; Pontiac Free Library, $36,500 to replace a roof; and the Warwick Center for the Arts, $145,000 for new entry stairs and doors and soffit repairs.

According to the foundation, 2018 was a unique year. In addition to welcoming its new executive director, Nina Stack, following the retirement of its longtime leader, Keith Lang, an unusual bequest to the foundation directed and enabled four substantial grants to longtime Champlin grantees. Through the estate of Eleanor F. Barlow, special one-time gifts were made to the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket’s Camp Ramsbottom, URI School of Nursing and the Westerly Land Trust.

According to Stack, “With the Barlow bequest our Distribution Committee lifted the foundation’s total grant awards this year to about $4 million more than its more typical level of giving.”

Comments

4 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • richardcorrente

    Whoever worked on this project deserves the sincere thanks of the 80,000 taxpayers in Warwick that are benefitting from all these grants. Two million in Champlin Grants means two million dollars less from the Warwick taxpayers.

    Merry Christmas everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers mayor

    Tuesday, December 11, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    The two-time election reject can not even make a complimentary statement without lying:

    "Two million in Champlin Grants means two million dollars less from the Warwick taxpayers."

    This is a lie. With the exception of the funding for the libraries, none of the money provided to these local recipients was from the city.

    The Champlin Foundation and its recipients deserve accolades for their work to bring needed funding to local nonprofits -- but that praise should be offered accurately and honestly.

    Tuesday, December 11, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    "If ANY money comes INTO Warwick as with these Champlin Foundation Grants, That's LESS money the 80,000 taxpayers that are paying the tab...have to pay!"

    The two-time election reject is engaging in "moving the goalposts."

    His original point was: "Two million in Champlin Grants means two million dollars less from the Warwick taxpayers."

    It was proven that the bulk of that money is going to projects and organizations that are not funded with property or other taxes from Warwick, and now the two-time election reject is arguing that he was actually correct, by changing his statement after the fact.

    His attempts to fool voters will fail, as have his ill-conceived campaigns.

    "CricickeeRaven even knows that I have never reached out to Mark Carruolo. He's right of course. I haven't. How in the world CrickeeRaven would POSSIBLY know that is a mystery..."

    Here's how the two-time election reject proved that he never called the person he wrongly suspects of using this screen name, while engaging in juvenile name-calling and false accusations:

    He said so: "I haven't."

    Contrary to his delusional beliefs, it took no special knowledge or inside information to know this -- his own behavior, which included offering no proof to support his claim and exhibiting an unhealthy obsession with a city staffer who left in 2014, was enough confirmation that he had never reached Mr. Carruolo.

    Had he done so, he would have learned how wrong he is.

    And then, he confirmed, himself, in his own words, that he never called Mr. Carruolo.

    Finally, the two-time election reject tells the truth about himself:

    "He lied."

    Honest, taxpaying voters will enjoy their winter holidays, independent of the two-time election reject's hollow wishes and make-believe title, happy in the knowledge that we kept him far away from elected office.

    Wednesday, December 12, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    "You decide."

    Here is a review of what honest, taxpaying voters have decided about the two-time election reject, and what he has done in response to our decisions:

    We have overwhelmingly rejected his candidacy, twice, by huge margins. We have decided that his lies, empty slogans, and delusional beliefs disqualify him from elective office.

    In response, he has further humiliated himself with conspiracy theories, false accusations, and more lies.

    He is wrong about who is using this screen name. He has not done anything to test his false accusation except repeat it.

    He is making blatantly and intentionally defamatory statements against a former city staffer who is not using this screen name, and by his own admission, the two-time election reject has not contacted this person to learn the truth.

    All of us, the honest, taxpaying voters who directly told the two-time election reject that we have decided he is totally unfit for office, will enjoy our winter holidays, happy in the knowledge that we were 100% correct to keep him away from anything to do with Warwick's operations.

    Thursday, December 13, 2018 Report this