2025 Grants Awarded

Bloom Rhode Island is pleased to announce $200,000 has been awarded in its second annual round of grants for beautiful plantings and educational signage in public spaces in five Rhode Island cities: Central Falls, East Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket. Benefits of the grants include traffic mitigation, mental health, education, community building, and the environment. 

Project Manager Kevin Essington says, “Hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders’ lives will be improved. Health studies have shown that access to nature's beauty reduces stress and high blood pressure. The community bonds that local groups create in planting and maintaining these projects can last for years. Also, many of the projects will support local pollinators by using native plants.” 

Grants include 34 project grants totaling $177,151. Additionally, 48 new mini-grants total $22,849. The total amount granted is a 48% increase over last year’s $135,000 in grant awards. 

Project grants include:

Providence Streets Coalition, North Main Street Safety and Beautification Pilot (Providence) 

Providence Streets Coalition (PVD Streets) will add large flower planters to North Main Street as a simple yet effective strategy for traffic calming. These planters will serve as physical barriers between sidewalks, bike lanes, and vehicle traffic, reducing the likelihood of serious crashes that endanger human lives. Beyond safety, the flowers in these planters will create inviting public spaces bringing more joy to the area. 

Good Neighbors, Inc., Food Pantry Cutting Garden (East Providence) 

Recipient for a second year, Good Neighbors continues their community cut flower garden from 2024, growing and offering bouquets of cut zinnias and other flowers to the food pantry’s many customers. As volunteers described last year, working in the garden and creating beautiful bouquets is therapeutic for their clients and neighbors alike. 

Sharieff's Project, Outdoor Gathering Space (Central Falls)

Sharieff's Project will to transform a large empty yard into a picnic and gathering space for cafe customers and staff who have had to "start over" after life challenges.

Black Rock Community Foundation, Downtown Planters and Maintenance (Pawtucket)

The Black Block Community Foundation is proud to help further the 10-year action plan proposed for downtown Pawtucket. The Foundation has secured agreements with building and business owners to install semi-permanent planting receptacles with perennials and annuals to be planted by shop owners, youth, and adults in connected programming.  

Woonsocket High School, School Spirit Plantings (Woonsocket)

Woonsocket High School will add two raised flower beds and a large "W" planted with red outlined in white flowers to the front of the school. Students will learn life skills by assisting with the garden, especially by seed starting which will begin shortly in classrooms. The cut flowers from the garden will be used for the school community and shared with neighboring senior groups.

Mini-grants:

Additionally, Bloom Rhode Island has awarded 48 mini-grants of up to $500 support for decorative and native planting projects at locations like the Hunt Street Garden in Central Falls, Rumford Little League in East Providence, Marconi Gardens in Pawtucket, Lima Elementary School in Providence, and Woonsocket Harris Public Library in Woonsocket. Any group of three+ people, including friends and neighbors, in the five cities could qualify to be considered for a mini-grant provided their bloom planting idea was publicly visible, not food-related, and not in the yard of a single family home. Many intend to plant sidewalk strips with their funding.

About Bloom Rhode Island: BloomRhodeIsland.org

Bloom Rhode Island is a not-for-profit initiative supporting Rhode Islanders who bring joy to public spaces with beautiful plants and flowers. Our goal is to help groups and organizations bring more flowering spaces to local communities, particularly areas without them now. Bloom Rhode Island operations include:

• Bloom Network: An informal alliance of dozens of groups and organizations making RI’s public spaces more joyful with plants.
• Grants: Funding for groups adding bloom to publicly visible spaces in Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Central Falls and Woonsocket.
• Hope Springs: Masses of free early-blooming bulbs for groups planting in public spaces in northern RI. Now in our 4th year.

Contact

Interviews can be arranged with Program Manager Kevin Essington by contacting Matthew Lawrence at communications@189development.org. Photos are available on request.