Grant will Fund Barrington Community Garden Improvements

BARRINGTON, RI—The town of Barrington is among the recipients of $500,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation. The Centennial Community Grants program is just one in a series of activities to mark the Foundation’s 100th anniversary this year.

“Our work would not be possible but for the visionaries who came before us, the donors who generously invest in Rhode Island and the community leaders who convert the resources into action,” said Neil Steinberg, president and CEO of the Foundation.

The town received $6,611 to install a deer fence and community bulletin board at the Barrington Community Garden. The deer fence will negate the need for individual fencing around gardeners’ plots and protect a newly created common area. The weatherproof bulletin board will serve as a central hub for important communications regarding the community garden.

“The Barrington Community Garden is a vibrant community asset where Barrington residents grow food, learn practical gardening skills and interact with other gardeners of all ages, ethnicities and incomes,” said Barrington Town Manager Peter A. DeAngelis. “This grant will help us continue to build community in Barrington through a shared sense of purpose.”

Located off Wampanoag Trail, the garden is organic and offers 100-square-foot plots to residents in exchange for a small fee and a commitment to participate in scheduled upkeep of common areas. In just two years, the garden has matured from fallow land to 60 plots.

The town supplies the garden with compost for the plots and woodchips to line the paths between plots. Thanks to a collaborative effort with the Barrington Energy Committee, water is available via a solar-operated pump that feeds spigots throughout the garden.

The project is among 43 that received funding. Nonprofit organizations, municipal governments and public agencies such as libraries are among the recipients.

“We are celebrating our Centennial by funding projects that will bring life to every one of Rhode Island's remarkable cities and towns. Communities will blossom and grow stronger as this works rolls out,” said Jessica David, the Foundation’s senior vice president of strategy and community investments.

All the work that is being funded is expected to be completed before the end of the year. The maximum grant was $15,000. Among the other nearby Centennial grant recipients are:

The Centennial grants were funded in part through a generous gift from long-time Foundation donor Anne Sage.

“This is such a wonderful way to celebrate the Foundation’s 100th anniversary. What an amazing opportunity to cast a wide net and benefit people from every corner of Rhode Island,” Sage said.

Founded on June 13, 1916, with a $10,000 gift from industrialist Jesse Metcalf, the Foundation’s assets have grown to nearly $800 million. Over the past five years, the Foundation has awarded more than $165 million in grants.

The centerpiece of the Centennial celebration is a $10 million campaign to restore Roger Williams Park. The work will include improvements to the park’s entrances, new signage, expanded walkways and bicycle paths and repairs to the Museum of Natural History, the Bandstand, the Casino and the Temple to Music.

The Foundation has already raised $5 million. The support includes $1.5 million from the Foundation itself as well as a $1.15 million gift from The Champlin Foundations to restore the historic Bandstand and Museum. In addition, more than four dozen other donors have contributed to the campaign.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2015, the Foundation awarded $41.5 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.