Mission, Vision & Values

EST. 1922

Founded in 1922 and renamed honoring Dr. King in 1968, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center is a central service provider for at-risk individuals, families, and seniors. An independent nonprofit, the MLK Community Center fights hunger, promotes health, educates young and school-aged kids, supports families, and engages seniors.

MLK Center Newport

Our Mission

We nourish, educate, and support Newport County residents to improve their economic, social, and physical well-being.

MLK Center Newport

Our Vision

We build a strong and inclusive community where all people are empowered to be self-reliant and to live their best quality of life.

Programs encompass three areas:

  • Hunger Prevention and Nutrition
  • Early Childhood and Extended Learning Time Education
  • Community Support Programs
 

Agency goals are to:

  • Reduce hunger through our food pantry, daily meal program, and home food delivery.
  • Increase health through agency-wide access to a Registered Dietitian, nutrition education, fitness and wellness programming, and other engaging programs.
  • Offer high-performing educational programs for children while holistically supporting the needs of their parents and families.

Our Values

Excellence​

We are flexible and creative in addressing our clients' needs, providing high-quality, best practice programming.

Respect and Compassion

We treat all people fairly, equitably, and compassionately.

Wise Stewardship

We make decisions responsibly, caring for our resources to ensure the long term best interests of our community and our mission.

Collaboration

We are committed to partnerships to help better serve those in the greatest need and to strengthen us as an organization.

Self-Determination

We support our clients to make choices that improve their health and well-being.

Education

We believe a nurturing, educational environment can lift children and adults from poverty and open the door to the community.

Equity and Inclusion

We at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center acknowledge that each one of us has an inherent responsibility when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We are committed to creating an environment where all persons affiliated with the Center, particularly those of us who are people of color, within the LGBTQIA+ community and/or with disabilities, are truly seen and treated with the utmost consideration, respect, and compassion.

We as a staff are accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work, which includes program building and structure; sustaining our relationships with clients, volunteers, donors, and each other; and our commitment to ongoing learning.

We acknowledge our responsibility for evolving our standards and culture as a Center as our journey toward equity is ever-changing.

BRAVE-SPACE-LOGO-450-x-592

We are proud to be a BRAVE Space (Belonging, Respect, Alliance, Validity and Equity), a place where the LGBTQIA+ community feels safe, welcome, and validated.  

We gained this safe zone certification as part of a pilot group of local agencies working toward this common goal.

“You don’t know how much you help me. My husband and I make just a little bit too much money so we don’t qualify for anything. Nothing. No help. You have no idea how much the MLK helps us. The dinners, the veggies, the pantry, the lunches….all of it. We’re just so grateful for you.”
MLK Client