Eastbayri.com

EAST BAY — A $10,000 donation from the town will be used to help East Bay residents in need, thanks to a vote by the Barrington Town Council earlier this month.

At its Feb. 6 meeting, members of the town council voted unanimously to give $10,000 from the town-managed Spencer Trust — an account established by a resident long ago to help the poor and unfortunate of Barrington — to the East Bay Community Action Program. EBCAP, a private, nonprofit corporation that provides a wide array of health and human services to East Bay residents, will distribute the money to those who don’t qualify for state or federal assistance but are still in need.

The council followed the advice of Barrington Town Manager Peter DeAngelis to extend the $10,000 donation.

“It’s a recommendation from my office and supported by the housing trust as well,” said Mr. DeAngelis during the meeting.

Dennis Roy, the CEO of the community action program, spoke at the meeting, telling the council that this was not the first time the town had given money to the nonprofit. In 2007 the town granted EBCAP $10,000, he said.

“We would have no more than a $500 grant per family per year, to make these funds go as far as possible,” Mr. Roy said.

Council Vice President Jeff Brenner asked Mr. Roy if EBCAP had provided an account of how the 2007 funds were dispersed. Mr. Roy said he had already shared that information with the town, but would track down another copy.

Mr. Brenner also asked what criteria are used to determine who is granted the money. Mr. Roy said EBCAP staff review applications to ensure people are deserving of the funds.

Mr. Brenner then asked the town manager if the Spencer Trust had $10,000 in interest income.

“Yes, we certainly have $10,000 in interest,” said Mr. DeAngelis, later adding that he strongly supported the council granting the funds to EBCAP.

Finally Mr. Brenner made a motion to allocate the five-figure donation.

“I just want to state for the record that this is money that is not part of the taxpayers’ money to the town,” he said. The motion passed 5-0.

Mr. Roy later extended an offer to any residents in need to contact his agency.

EBCAP’s range of assistance

The East Bay Community Action Program offers a number of services to those in need of assistance in the East Bay. Programs include Head Start and Early Head Start services; Even Start; family health and dental services; family development case management services including social service information and referral and basic human needs; youth programs; the East Bay Coalition for the Homeless; heating and energy services; the Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Feeding and Nutrition Program (WIC); the Newport Skills Alliance; youth services; and senior services, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and Foster Grandparents.

• For more information: Visit www.ebcap.org or call 847-7821.

What is the Spencer Trust?

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005 the trust of Wilton H. Spencer, a Providence native who died in 1935, was distributed to a number of parties according to the details of Superior Court settlement. The Town of Barrington received the majority of the money from the trust, $2.7 million, while a few of Mr. Spencer’s relatives were awarded between $350,000 and $216,000. The town’s money, as was directed by Mr. Spencer, will be held in perpetuity as the Amey Tucker Spencer Fund and used to help the indigent of Barrington. The $2.7 million can never been drawn against, but interest from the funds will be accessible.