Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., has announced it will award more than $58,000 to four Western Tidewater non-profit organizations.

“(Green Mountain Coffee Roasters) is proud to support nonprofits that are making a real difference in our local communities,” said Sandy Yusen, director of community relations for Green Mountain.

“In addition to grants, we also actively support local non-profit organizations through volunteerism and product donations.” GMCR gives full-time employees up to 52 hours of paid time off each year to volunteer at the non-profit of their choice.

One of the four grants recently awarded went to Western Tidewater Free Clinic Inc. The company committed $15,000 to help provide comprehensive medical and dental care to uninsured, low-income patients.

“We appreciate GMCR’s support in both time and money,” said Miriam A. Beiler, executive director of Western Tidewater Free Clinic. “In addition to the grant, volunteers from GMCR in Windsor provided landscaping services and built a fence for us. One of the GMCR volunteers was a former patient at the clinic when he was unemployed and couldn’t afford health insurance. We were a ‘safety net’ for him, which is a primary role of our clinic.”

The other three grants went to regional organizations focusing on access to quality education and clean water, including:

• Nansemond River Preservation Alliance, to provide hands-on scientific experiences for seventh-grade students
• Smart Beginnings Western Tidewater, to provide high-quality preschool services in centers and homes
• The Children’s Center, to provide classroom technology and hearing screenings for low income children, ages birth to 5.