MIDDLETOWN, RI— Lucy’s Hearth, a shelter for homeless Rhode Island families, will be improving the exterior of its building on Valley Road in Middletown, mitigating flooding from a nearby brook, and replacing flooring affected by the flooding, thanks to a recent $98,574 grant from the Champlin Foundation.
“We have been literally patching our building’s siding with planks and sealing tape,” said Lucy’s Hearth executive director Kelly Lee. “We didn’t have the money to deal with the problem, but we do now thanks to the Champlin Foundation.”
Lucy’s Hearth is one of only four family shelters in Rhode Island and the only one in Newport County. There’s usually a waiting list of around 200 families seeking space in one of these locations. “Lucy’s Hearth, we always emphasize, is more than a roof over a family’s head, since we offer many programs to help families avoid future homelessness. That said, the roof, the walls, the floors matter too!” Lucy’s Hearth serves 170 people, mostly children, annually.
Champlin Foundation funding will be also directed to preventing a brook behind Lucy’s Hearth from flooding, which has apparently damaged the flooring and threatens the shelter’s foundation. New flooring will be installed under the grant.
The Champlin Foundation, in a prepared statement, said it “is pleased to provide grant funding to Lucy’s Hearth to help this important institution advance its vital mission. Champlin Foundation grants are awarded on a competitive basis and our grant to Lucy’s Heath is a reflection of our confidence in the organization’s ability to improve the lives of Rhode Islanders in significant ways.”
About the Champlin Foundation
Since 1932, the Champlin Foundation has awarded more than $600 million to fund capital projects and equipment for Rhode Island nonprofit organizations. These investments have enabled better medical care, improved education, fostered the arts, expanded access to social services, conserved open spaces, preserved historic buildings, advanced animal welfare, and more. Quietly and steadfastly, The Champlin Foundation helps those who do good do more—to the benefit of all.
