Newport Restaurant Group donates to local nonprofits fighting food insecurity

Photo, top: Hope’s Harvest: Jennifer Backman, Executive Chef, Waterman Grille; Eva Agudelo, Founder, Hope’s Harvest and Director of Value Chain Strategy of Farm Fresh; Brooke Warner, Volunteer Accessibility, AmeriCorps VISTA, Farm Fresh RI; and Ally Jennings, Hunger Relief Program Manager, Hope’s Harvest.

Newport Restaurant Group (NRG), an award-winning collection of unique restaurants and hospitality venues located throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, is pleased to announce that it has donated $64,000 to local nonprofits as a result of its annual, year-round gift card program, exceeding last year’s fundraising total by more than $4,000. Through the program, $2.00 from every gift card purchase is donated to area nonprofits fighting food insecurity. Since the program’s inception in 2019, more than $214,000 has been distributed to local agencies.  

“So many of our neighbors face food insecurity on a daily basis, and we are grateful to the wonderful organizations in our region that work tirelessly to provide relief,” said Paul O’Reilly, President and Chief Executive Officer, Newport Restaurant Group. “We are honored to have the opportunity to support this work, and we thank our incredible guests without whom this donation would not be possible.”

The 2023 recipients include the Aquidneck Community Table, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, RI Community Food Bank, and Hope’s Harvest in Rhode Island, and the Brookline Food Pantry, The Food Project, and Centre Street Food Pantry in Massachusetts. 

“We are so grateful to the Newport Restaurant Group for their years of partnership with Farm Fresh RI,” said Eva Aguldelo, Founder, Hope’s Harvest and Director of Value Chain Strategy of Farm Fresh.  “Whether it’s ordering local food for their restaurants or getting their hands dirty gleaning produce, we know the Newport Restaurant Group has a passion for supporting farmers. This generous $8,000 donation to our Hope’s Harvest program will help increase food security for our most vulnerable neighbors and fairly compensate local farmers for food that alleviates hunger. We are so glad that Newport Restaurant Group shares our vision of a Rhode Island where everyone enjoys an abundance of fresh, local food.”

In addition to the financial support, NRG employee owners volunteer with these organizations throughout the year in a variety of ways, from collecting non-perishable food items for the RI Community Food Bank to preparing and serving dinners at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, to harvesting surplus fruits and vegetables at local farms that are distributed to hunger relief agencies through a partnership with Hope’s Harvest.

“The RI Community Food Bank is so grateful to the Newport Restaurant Group for this generous donation,” shared Andrew Schiff, CEO, RI Community Food Bank. “It’s so meaningful for us to receive this kind of support from our state’s restaurant industry. This gift will enable us to provide nutritious food to the 80,000 Rhode Islanders per month who visit our agencies.”

The 2024 gift card program is ongoing and gift cards can be purchased at any NRG property or online at www.newportrestaurantgroup.com.  

Photos (courtesy of Newport Restaurant Group): 

About Newport Restaurant Group

Newport Restaurant Group’s award-winning portfolio of restaurants are located across Rhode Island and include Castle Hill Inn, The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille, Bar ‘Cino, and Smoke House all located in Newport; Celeste in Narragansett*; the Boat House in Tiverton; Waterman Grille and Hemenway’s, both located in Providence; Avvio Ristorante located at Garden City Center in Cranston; Iron Works in Warwick; Papa Razzi in Wellesley, MA; and Bar ‘Cino in Brookline and Watertown, MA.

Newport Restaurant Group’s mission is to provide the highest quality culinary experience in unique, service-oriented atmospheres and to create each menu with a creative, thoughtful, and responsible approach. Newport Restaurant Group is proudly 100% employee-owned. For more information, please visit www.newportrestaurantgroup.com.   

*Opening in Spring 2024.