No child should ever have to go hungry. This is why the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center is using a $2,500 grant to establish a non-perishable food pantry for the families of their Children’s Services program.

The children’s program “supports about 180 families whose children are on the autism spectrum,” said Kelly Charlebois, vice president of advancement at the Trudeau Center. “The majority of those people are at or below the poverty line.”

The Trudeau Center, located on Post Road in Apponaug, works to support children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and enhance their quality of life, according to their website.

Charlebois submitted the grant application to the Anthony F. Cordeiro Charitable Foundation in early July, specifically addressing the need to establish a food pantry. When the Center learned they would receive the funding, “we were very excited,” said Charlebois. “We rely on donations and now a lot of that stress will go away.”

The Anthony F. Cordeiro Charitable Foundation announced last week that it will award $13,000 to six local nonprofits in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The foundation aims to strengthen communities through initiatives focused on mental and physical health services, food, shelter, education and animal welfare. Melanie and Merrill Cordeiro visited the Trudeau Center last week to present the check.

“Our grantees have created significant, positive change for many families, communities, individuals and organizations across Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” notes Anthony F. Cordeiro, founder of the Charitable Foundation, in a press release. The other Rhode Island grantee is Pet Refuge in North Kingstown, which will use their funding to provide necessary medical care and other supplies to the shelter’s 16 “lifers,” cats that were deemed unadoptable by the shelter.

Charlebois anticipates that the food pantry will be open and ready to service families in late October to early November. The children’s program at the Trudeau Center services children across the state, and the food pantry will provide food baskets during the holiday season. “Over the past few years we’ve seen an increased need for it,” she said.

The Trudeau Center, founded in 1964, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

“We’ve been a cornerstone here in Warwick for 60 years and we’re expanding our programs to meet the needs of the community,” said Charlebois.

This year’s annual food drive begins in late October and ends in early December, allowing the center to prepare food baskets for the holiday season. Consider supporting the Trudeau Center’s mission this fall by donating canned goods and non-perishable food items.