Westbay Community Action receives $200K grant to address nutrition gap in Kent County

WESTBAY Community Action Inc. received a two-year federal grant to address nutrition needs of children under five, pregnant women and mothers in Kent County.
WESTBAY Community Action Inc. received a two-year federal grant to address nutrition needs of children under five, pregnant women and mothers in Kent County.

WEST WARWICK – Westbay Community Action Inc. recently was awarded a $200,000 two-year grant from the National WIC Association to address nutrition needs of children under 5, as well as pregnant women and mothers in Kent County.
The agency received $75,000 to implement the grant this year, and another $125,000 for next year, according to Paul Salera, president/CEO of Westbay Community Action.

Westbay said it plans to reach out to nonparticipating WIC-eligible clients to provide them with access to healthy foods, nutrition and breastfeeding education, along with medical support referrals.

Westbay was the only awardee in Rhode Island and only one of two agencies in New England to receive a grant; the other agency is in Connecticut.

With the funding, Salera said they hope to influence a decrease in premature births and low birth weights.

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Salera said they also hope to influence a greater length of gestation to “provide better outcomes and improve the overall health of the families.”

Westbay Community Action, a nonprofit social service agency, was among 15 awardees approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work cooperatively with the National WIC Association.

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