Jeanne Michon leads New Beginnings into new chapter

Jeanne Michon, executive director and last remaining founder of New Beginnings Inc. in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is being recognized for four decades of service through food, hospice care, and nonprofit leadership. The organization has bought its first building and started renovations as Michon works to expand services and keep meals and outreach going for people in need.

Why it matters: - Jeanne Michon’s work has shaped food access, hospice support, and community outreach in Woonsocket for about 40 years. - New Beginnings Inc. has entered a growth phase after purchasing its first building, which could expand its long-term ability to serve people in need. - Michon estimates she has helped serve nearly one million meals, underscoring the scale of the organization’s community impact.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Jeanne Michon, who serves as executive director, chef, and last remaining founder of New Beginnings Inc. - Michon lives and works in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. - Her service story began on May 16, 1986, when she started as a nurse’s aide caring for mentally disabled adults. - In 2017, Michon and two other women reopened the closed meal site as New Beginnings Inc. - New Beginnings recently bought its first building and began renovations.

The details: - Michon spent years volunteering at a local soup kitchen and meal site while she was working early in her career. - She met her husband at the meal site while he was helping build homeless shelters. - She later enrolled at Johnson & Wales University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1994 with a degree in Culinary Arts. - Johnson & Wales also inducted her into the Silver Key Honor Society. - Michon worked 15 years with Hospice Care Rhode Island, supporting terminally ill patients and their families. - Her culinary background also includes work as head chef at an Italian restaurant, private chef, chef and instructor, and chef at the community meal site for six years. - During the COVID-19 pandemic, she earned her Teaching Assistant Certification. - At age 41, Michon had her first and only child and stepped away from professional work for five years to become a full-time mother. - In her current role, Michon oversees daily operations, prepares meals, coordinates outreach, and works directly with the people New Beginnings serves. - Her honors include Southern New England’s Remarkable Woman 2025, the Rotary Vocational Award 2018, Grand Marshal of Autumnfest 2022, and the Boys & Girls Club Distinguished Service Award 2024.

Between the lines: - Michon’s story shows how nonprofit work, cooking, and caregiving can reinforce one another in a single career centered on service. - The new building signals a shift from surviving day to day to building a more durable community presence. - Her comments on funding pressure reflect a broader reality for nonprofits, where smaller organizations often compete for limited resources. - Michon views collaboration as essential, especially when different organizations serve the same people in different ways. - Mentorship also appears to have shaped her leadership style, especially through observing the last director of the soup kitchen where she volunteered and later worked.

What’s next: - New Beginnings will continue renovating its newly purchased building. - Michon is expected to keep leading meal service and outreach as the organization expands. - She says future progress will depend on creative grant writing, fundraising, and program development as nonprofit funding becomes more difficult. - Her message to younger women in nonprofit and culinary work is simple: don’t give up.

The bottom line: - Jeanne Michon has turned a lifetime of caregiving and culinary work into a lasting nonprofit legacy built on meals, dignity, and persistence.