Question: What do fresh vegetables, a box of Plumpy’Nut, breakfast foods, and pots and pans have in common?

Answer: Thanks to this year’s Barrington Women’s Club distributions, four non-profits will be able to purchase these items. 

• Plumpy’Nut: A $1,000 Barrington Women’s Club Award was recently established to recognize a person or organization demonstrating innovative leadership, passion, and dedicated service. The club selected Barrington resident Navyn Salem, founder of Edesia, for the award. The factory produces Plumpy’Nut—a life-saving, ready to use peanut-based paste, that is designed to treat severe malnutrition. 

“I am honored to be the first recipient of the Barrington Women’s Club Award and feel blessed to be able to serve malnourished children around the world,” Salem said. “Since opening in 2010, we have reached 30 million children, but humanitarian conflicts such as Gaza and Sudan, climate change and cuts to aid continue to challenge us every day.” 

Salem added: “One box of Plumpy’Nut saves the life of one child suffering from malnutrition and costs $50. So the club’s $1,000 donation saves 20 lives.” 

• Fresh fruit and vegetables: Barrington Women’s Club awarded $500 to St. Mary of the Bay Food Pantry in Warren.

“Summer months put an additional financial strain on families with school-aged children, who are now home seven days a week,” said food pantry program coordinator Dee Proulx. “Our Weekend Eats program strives to relieve some of that stress by providing additional fresh fruits and vegetables. The Barrington Women’s Club’s generous donation will be used to purchase some of the kids’ favorites like clementines, baby carrots, grapes, bananas, and much more.” 

• Breakfast foods: Barrington Women’s Club awarded $500 to Good Neighbors Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Riverside. Good Neighbors Executive Director Kate Mushipi explained the impact the gift will have.

“A simple breakfast can provide comfort, stability, and a positive start to the day, yet breakfast foods have become increasingly difficult for us to source. The Barrington Women's Club's generous gift will help ensure our neighbors have access to one of the most important meals of the day while allowing us to continue offering a variety of options through our choice-model pantry,” Mushipi said. “We believe that choice is dignity, and providing people with the ability to select foods that meet their needs and preferences is an important part of how we serve our community.”

• Pots and pans: Barrington Women’s Club awarded $500 to Tap-In that will help the East Bay nonprofit provide housewares to residents in need.

“We service many families, some with seven to eight members, who come to us requesting stock pots and large pans,” said Tap-In President Kristen Shields. “Other clients come to Tap-In when they are being re-housed, in which we provide a housewares starter bin containing various kitchen necessities including a pot and a pan. Having the financial support of the Barrington Women’s Club allows us to continue our pots and pans program and provide essentials for providing healthy meals to our community in need."

• Evelyn Coppell Award: This spring the club presented a $1,500 Coppell Award to Julia Kolaski, a Barrington High School senior who plans to major in biomedical engineering at the University of Connecticut this fall. The award is given annually since its was established by Dr. Coppell in 1960.

“We’re serious about helping others,” said Victoria Desirey, president of the Barrington Women’s Club. “Not only do we do we distribute money, we collect gently-used seasonal wear to help our neighbors, donate pounds of food, purchase new toys, books, and stuffed animals for children in shelters. 

“Don’t let our name fool you. Our members come from a dozen towns in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. We have 90-plus members, but there’s always room for more.” 

For more information on the Barrington Women’s Club visit www.barringtonwomensclubri.org