There is something quietly profound about watching something grow. A seed placed carefully in soil, tended with patience and intention, nurtured by hands that care deeply about the outcome — and then, in time, something remarkable emerges. At the James L. Maher Center, we have watched that same miracle unfolds not just in our garden beds, but in the lives of the adults we serve every single day. And now, thanks to an extraordinary community investment, we are bringing those two worlds together in a way we have always dreamed of.
We are thrilled and deeply honored to introduce Harvesting Abilities — a transformational new vocational and horticultural program at the James L. Maher Center, made possible by a generous grant from Impact100 Newport County.
A Community That Believed in Us
Impact100 Newport County is a remarkable organization — a collective of women who pool their membership donations to award high-impact grants to nonprofits making a meaningful difference in our community. In their inaugural 2026 grant cycle, the James L. Maher Center was selected as a grant recipient for Harvesting Abilities, and we are still pinching ourselves with gratitude and excitement.
To be chosen by a group of women so deeply committed to making Newport County stronger, more vibrant, and more inclusive — it means everything. This grant is not just funding. It is a statement of belief in our participants, in their potential, and in what becomes possible when a community decides to invest in everyone.
What Is Harvesting Abilities?
Harvesting Abilities is a vocational horticultural program designed to give adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) the opportunity to grow, harvest, and sell fresh herbs and vegetables throughout Aquidneck Island. Participants will work hands-on in our garden center — learning to plant, tend, and harvest produce — while developing real vocational skills, building confidence, and connecting with the natural world in deeply meaningful ways.
But this program is about so much more than vegetables. It is about purpose. It is about showing up to work each morning with a job to do and the skills to do it. It is about the pride of handing a neighbor a bunch of freshly grown herbs and knowing that your hands grew that. It is about belonging to something — a garden, a team, a community — in a way that is visible, tangible, and deeply fulfilling.
For many of our participants, Harvesting Abilities will be their first experience of sustained vocational work in an outdoor, community-facing environment. The research on the therapeutic and vocational benefits of horticultural programming for adults with IDD is compelling — and we cannot wait to see those benefits bloom right here on Aquidneck Island.
From Our Garden to Your Table
As Harvesting Abilities grows, so too will its reach into the Aquidneck Island community. Fresh, locally grown herbs and vegetables — tended with care by our participants — will make their way to neighbors, local markets, and community partners across the Island. Every purchase is a direct investment in the program and in the participants who pour themselves into it.
We invite you to follow our journey, support our participants, and perhaps one day soon pick up a bunch of basil or a basket of tomatoes grown by the extraordinary men and women of the James L. Maher Center. Because here, in this garden, something truly beautiful is growing.
To learn more about Harvesting Abilities, volunteering opportunities, or how to support the James L. Maher Center, visit www.mahercenter.org or contact Ashley Murphy at amurphy@mahercenter.org | (401) 846-4600.
Tee Up for a Cause: Maher Center’s 48th Annual Golf Tournament
Make your swing count this fall. The James L. Maher Center is hosting its annual tournament to raise $90,000 for a new, wheelchair-accessible van—a vital lifeline connecting local participants to their community and programs.
When: September 14
Where: Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club
The Schedule: 12:00 PM Luncheon | 1:00 PM Shotgun Start | Dinner, Silent Auction, and Raffles to follow.
Get Involved: Learn more at www.mahergolf.com
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