RUMFORD — Gannett Foundation awarded a $3,000 grant to Rumford Group Homes homeless shelters. Rumford Group Homes operates three homeless shelters in Oxford County including the Rumford Family Center, which is a 12-bed shelter in Rumford that helps homeless families in crisis. In southern Oxford County, Rumford Group Homes operates the Norway Family Center, a 12-bed homeless shelter for single women and children as well as the South Paris Men’s Emergency Shelter, which can serve up to two single men.

The Gannett Foundation supports local organizations in communities served by Gannett Co., Inc.  Their community action grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment. About 60 percent of their community grants target grassroots organizations in the areas of social/human services, health and mental health, benefiting the most disadvantaged people in our communities.

“This is very exciting news for us,” saidAlan J. Monier, executive director of RGH, Inc. “Support from the Gannett Foundation will help us to expand our Housing First model, which is designed to help families get to permanent housing more quickly.”

Last year, through their three emergency shelters, RGH provided more than 6,000 bed nights and provided emergency shelter and housing in their rental programs to 63 families or 160 individuals for the last fiscal year in Oxford County alone.

For more information or to make a referral for services, call 369-9439 in the Rumford area or 743-6363 in the Norway area.