KATE BREWSTER, executive director for South Kingstown-based nonprofit Jonnycake Center for Hope, recently received the 2022 Murray Family Prize for Community Enrichment from the Rhode Island Foundation. Brewster, who has worked at the Jonnycake Center since 2015, was recognized for her commitment to serving disadvantaged communities. As part of the prize, she received $50,000 from the foundation to use however she sees fit.
What does winning the Murray Prize mean to you? It was a very unexpected and humbling honor to be presented with this award. Having worked in social services for 30 years, I know how many amazing leaders there are in Rhode Island doing outstanding work. To have the Murray family celebrate the work I have helped lead in Washington County and across the state during my career is very special. This award also validates the work of our amazing team at the Jonnycake Center. Clearly, they make me look good!
What do you plan on doing with the $50,000 you received with the prize? I plan to give thanks to my colleagues, to invest in our upcoming work focused on youths and to honor the Murray family’s wishes by treating myself and my family, who are partners in everything I do, to some special quality time for my upcoming 50th birthday.
In 2021, the Jonnycake Center helped low-income Rhode Islanders obtain $290,000 in income tax refunds; provided $87,000 in emergency financial assistance for food, utilities and housing; had 6,200 visits to its food pantry; and helped 30 households find permanent housing. How did the organization keep up with the demand as people were slowly getting out of the COVID-19 pandemic? The pandemic taught so many nonprofits how to pivot. We turned our entire operation on its head during the initial lockdown and first few months. The next year we focused on helping people navigate pandemic benefits such as rent relief, while we delivered food and other necessities to those quarantining or suffering from COVID-19.
Today, we face new challenges. One unanticipated outcome of the pandemic has been the increased demand for housing, as property owners cash in on the red-hot real estate market, displacing countless renters. We now spend considerable time helping local families search for affordable housing. We are fortunate to work in a generous community where donor support allows us to be flexible and respond to changing needs.
What initiatives is the center looking to introduce to help serve the community?The pandemic left in its wake an even more severe housing shortage in South County and a crisis among youths, whose education and mental health has suffered. In response, the Jonnycake Center has doubled down on our commitment to our community, adding affordable housing and youth enrichment to our services. In fact, we recently closed our thrift store after close to 50 years to make way for a youth enrichment center, which is a move that is much more aligned with our mission and our community’s needs.
