5 years, 19 selections, $1,911 in donations
Since July 2019, the WARM Center has been selected to benefit from the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs 19 times at two different Stop & Shop locations. In total, the organization has received $1,911 in donations to continue serving individuals and families in need with compassion, hope, and dignity.
Tell us about the WARM Center.
First, I want to thank Stop & Shop for running the Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs. It gives local nonprofits an opportunity to not only get extra funds into their coffers but also to spread information regarding the services and resources that are available in the community.
The Warm Center has been in business for more than 35 years. We originally started as a night-to-night shelter operated by seven local churches. Churches would take turns providing a week of overnight shelter for folks in the community. Soon after, the organization needed a more permanent space. The founders invested in the program and purchased a building that became the first single adult shelter in Washington County.
The WARM Center has grown into a multifaceted social service organization, where the Stop & Shop resources we get through the sale of the bags come to light. These resources are used for general operating costs and services like rental assistance. Because of programs like this, we can also help folks get their automobiles fixed so they can get to work. We use these resources from Stop & Shop to close the door to homelessness and keep people housed. Our services are a way to help people supplement their budget and enable them to pay their rent and other financial obligations.
Many may think buying one bag is not a big deal, but if you and your neighbors all buy one, it brings in quite a bit of financial assistance to the programs here at WARM. We see it as a pebble in the pond. If you throw a dollar in, the ripple effect is quite impressive. We are very grateful to the community and to Stop & Shop for supporting us. It makes a difference.
Many may think buying one bag is not a big deal, but if you and your neighbors all buy one, it brings in quite a bit of financial assistance to the programs here at WARM.
What services do you provide to the community?
We run 17 programs, including housing programs ranging from emergency shelters for single adults and families to transitional housing. We are one of the major providers for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Washington County. We not only have a shelter here in Westerly, but we also have a shelter in Peace Dale and one on the border of Narragansett and Wakefield.
We have a community meal site. Folks from Stop & Shop often come to cook and serve meals as part of their commitment to the community. In our kitchen, we do about 40,000 meals a year. We are the sole provider of lunch and dinner seven days a week. You can come here at any given time on any day and get a hot meal for both lunch and dinner.
We have Community Critical Needs for folks who might need supplemental help. If someone has an illness and misses a week of work, they can fall behind very quickly. With Community Critical Needs, we can help them supplement their rent or utility bills. We also help people who are struggling to purchase prescriptions.
All of our programs are centered on our values of compassion, hope, and dignity. We find ways to keep people housed and out of homelessness. If they fall on hard times and become homeless, we find the quickest way to get them out.
All of our programs are centered on our values of compassion, hope, and dignity.
How has the WARM Center used the donations from the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs to further its mission?
All these donations help us meet the needs of the people in our community. We see about 400 unduplicated individuals per year who are accessing our basic needs network. This type of funding helps pay for things like heating assistance and prescriptions. Everything goes directly back into the community.
We see about 400 unduplicated individuals per year who are accessing our basic needs network.
Tell us a story about a program, service, or initiative that the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs have supported.
These funds go to issues that may seem simple to most but can become very complicated for our folks. I like to tell the story of a mom who gets a flat tire on her way to work. For the folks we serve, that can be a game changer. If the mom can’t get her tire fixed and can’t get her car on the road, she needs to leave it parked on the side of the road and risks getting a ticket or getting it towed. With the help of resources like this, we have been able to pay for the tire to help the mom get back and forth from work.
As another example, when someone becomes homeless, they typically lose all of their documents, such as their social security card, birth certificate, and picture ID. If you’re homeless and don’t have any financial resources, you can’t apply for a job or do anything without those documents. These funds often have gone to help families and individuals get their birth certificates and picture IDs. It may seem small, but it’s a game changer for our folks. It helps them maintain stability and become active in the community.
Have you noticed any changes in community awareness or support since becoming involved in the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs?
Anytime nonprofits can get their name out with a company like Stop & Shop, it has an impact. Folks in the community see the level of support we receive, especially having been the recipient so many times. They get to see that the company is committed to the organization and the organization is committed to the community.
I can assure you that to us and to people in the community, it’s more than a nice program. It gets our name out and gives us an opportunity to show that even Stop & Shop partners with us! It has had a big impact and inspired other donors in the community.
What advice would you give other nonprofits participating in the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs?
The more, the merrier! No matter the amount, it all goes back to the pebble in the pond. There is a deeper ripple effect and a real impact. I encourage other nonprofits to really look into this and become part of it.
We have employees from Stop & Shop who come and volunteer on a regular basis. A couple of summers ago, they purchased a grill we could use during the summer. They even came and did the cooking! The program can develop into a really nice partnership.
Interview with Russell Partridge, Executive Director