No child should ever go hungry. That’s why the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Centre is using a $2,500 grant to set up a pantry with nonperishable food items for the families of its child welfare program.
The children’s program “supports about 180 families whose children are autistic,” said Kelly Charlebois, vice president of advancement at the Trudeau Center. “The majority of these people live at or below the poverty line.”
The Trudeau Center on Post Road in Apponaug is committed to supporting children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and improving their quality of life, according to its website.
Charlebois submitted the grant application to the Anthony F. Cordeiro Charitable Foundation in early July, specifically addressing the need to set up a food bank. When the center learned it would receive the funds, “we were very excited,” Charlebois said. “We rely on donations and now a lot of that stress will be eliminated.”
The Anthony F. Cordeiro Charitable Foundation announced last week that it will donate $13,000 to six local nonprofits in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The foundation’s goal is to strengthen communities through initiatives focused on mental and physical health services, food, shelter, education and animal welfare. Melanie and Merrill Cordeiro visited the Trudeau Center last week to present the check.
“Our grantees have made significant, positive changes for many families, communities, individuals and organizations in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” notes Anthony F. Cordeiro, founder of the Charitable Foundation, in a press release. The other Rhode Island grantee is Pet Refuge in North Kingstown, which will use its funds to provide necessary medical care and other supplies to the shelter’s 16 “lifers” – cats deemed unadoptable by the shelter.
Charlebois expects the food bank to be open and ready to serve families by late October to early November. The children’s program at the Trudeau Centre serves children across the state, and the food bank will provide food baskets during the holidays. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increased need for this,” she said.
Founded in 1964, the Trudeau Center is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
“We have been a cornerstone here in Warwick for 60 years and are expanding our programs to meet the needs of the community,” Charlebois said.
This year’s food drive begins in late October and ends in early December, allowing the Centre to prepare food baskets for the holidays. Consider supporting the Trudeau Centre’s mission this fall by donating canned and nonperishable foods.
