Greenlove Foundation and Florence Gray Center

The Greenlove Foundation is announcing its donation of a water bottle filling station to Newport’s Boys & Girls Florence Gray Center which was received and installed in early March.

Kelly J. Powers, Director, Center for Community Engagement and Service at Salve Regina University, and a personal supporter of the Florence Gray Center saw the need for a WBFS and lead the initiative to seek a donation from Greenlove. The initial “reveal” was planned in partnership with Ms. Powers and Salve’s Green Team but as a result of COVID19, it has been postponed for now. This installation is Greenlove’s 21st water station donation.

In the past few months, hands-free bottle filling stations have had an unprecedented global surge in demand by schools, museums, etc. Greenlove’s donation to the Florence Gray Center is part of the solution to protect the environment and minimize the amount of single-use plastic water bottles that are thrown away polluting our environment while providing a healthier and safer way of drinking water.

A large amount of youth that depends on the FGC for support, sports, and recreation will have the benefit of using the hydration station. The youth and staff at the center will have access to the hydration station which is equipped with a safe touchless sensor that rapidly dispenses filtered water into a reusable bottle.

According to Orlando Peace, the Student Facilitator & Coordinator at the Boys & Girls North End Clubhouse, the center will reopen on Sept. 21 with COVID protocols in place to keep the children and staff safe. The center has been given a fresh look with a new coat of paint, murals, and has been fully sanitized to welcome everyone. Orlando shared with Greenlove that a new program, Career Path Plan, was developed to help the participating students to think and plan about their future education and career path. A healthier lifestyle including encouraging students to use reusable water bottles will be incorporated in the program. Orlando has deeply expressed the gratitude and the excitement of the entire FGC community to receive the water bottle filling station.

The Greenlove Foundation was founded in loving memory of Kendra L. Bowers. The Greenlove Foundation seeks to foster and grow an optimistic, positive, and forward-thinking sense of environmental responsibility and awareness.

For more information on the Greenlove Foundation, please visit https://www.greenlovefoundation.org, and/or their Facebook or Instagram page.