NSARA grant deadline Friday

NORTH SMITHFIELD – Nonprofit organizations that provide services to benefit the health and welfare of North Smithfield residents have until Friday, March 22, to apply for grants through the North Smithfield Ambulance and Rescue Association Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation.

“We are casting a wide net, seeking applications from human service organizations and other nonprofits anywhere in Rhode Island that help North Smithfield residents lead healthier lives,” said Kelly Riley, who administers the fund at the foundation.

Preference will be given to organizations that do not have access to other sources of funding. Recent recipients include NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley for the College Ready Communities Financial Assistance Program; WellOne Primary Medical and Dental Care to provide affordable medical and dental care to uninsured and underinsured residents of North Smithfield; and the Thundermist Health Center, which provided subsidized medical and dental care to needy residents of North Smithfield.

The North Smithfield Ambulance and Rescue Association formed in 1954 to provide free ambulance and rescue services to residents. Its activities were funded through annual door-to-door drives and direct mail appeals. In the early 2000s, when ambulance and rescue runs began to be billed to insurance companies, the association disbanded. The North Smithfield Fire Department picked up the ambulance and rescue service, utilizing a rescue truck, boat and other equipment donated by the Association. The group then transferred its remaining assets to the foundation to establish a permanent endowment.