Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center is a central service provider for at-risk individuals and families. Founded in 1922 and renamed honoring Dr. King in 1968, the MLK Community Center continues to evolve in providing a safe and nurturing environment for the changing needs of Newport County, Rhode Island residents who seek nutritional, educational, and social supports to improve the quality of their lives. The MLK served 2,842 predominantly low-income individuals in 2016, 33% being children, and 16% senior citizens. Our program framework can be described in 3 areas: 1) Nutrition, Food Availability and Hunger Prevention, 2) Early Childhood and Extended Learning Time Education, and 3) Community Support Programs. Our agency goals are to: 1) Reduce hunger through food pantry, daily meal program, and home food delivery. 2) Increase health through agency-wide access to Registered Dietitian, nutrition education, Wellness Center, and other engaging programs. 3) Offer high-performing educational programs for children while holistically supporting the needs of their parents/families.