To the Editor: There has been a great deal of press during the past few weeks about the Community Service Grant program, and we feel that it is imperative to offer our perspective. These grants are used to provide critical services to our neediest Rhode
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To the Editor:
There has been a great deal of press during the past few weeks about the Community Service Grant program, and we feel that it is imperative to offer our perspective. These grants are used to provide critical services to our neediest Rhode Islanders. The funding received by our respective agencies is essential to continuing these services to the Rhode Island community. Collectively, over the past year, these grants have had enormous impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders:
l The RI Community Food Bank assisted 60,000 people per month providing food for families in need.
l Crossroads Rhode Island helped 3,000 people experiencing homelessness with housing, basic needs, case management, employment training and supportive services.
l The RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence and its member agencies provided court advocacy, shelter, safety planning, advocacy and counseling to 8,934 victims of domestic violence and responded to over 18,800 calls for help and information.
l Day One provided outreach and services addressing sexual assault and trafficking to over 7,000 Rhode Islanders.
l Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island assisted 2,400 immigrants and refugees with applying for citizenship, obtaining or maintaining their legal permanent resident status, work authorization, and other humanitarian relief, provided free walk-in immigration consultations to 3,800 individuals, and provided 1,250 people with contextualized workforce training, English as a Second Language, and family literacy classes.
l The United Way assisted 1,600 children, leveraging an additional $450,000 in private funding to ensure children can access summer programs that increase their learning over the summer.
All of these services are vital to stabilizing lives and removing barriers in our state so that people can recover, heal, eat, sleep, work and move toward empowering their lives. These organizations, and many others that receive community service grants, rely on this funding for core services.
We are grateful that this funding exists; we urge the legislature to continue providing these grants; and we welcome any additional measures necessary for transparency and accountability.
Karen A. Santilli,
President & CEO, Crossroads Rhode Island
Peg Langhammer,
Executive Director, Day One
Kathleen Cloutier,
Executive Director, Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island
Deborah DeBare,
Executive Director, Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Andrew Schiff,
CEO, Rhode Island Community Food Bank
Anthony Maione,
President & CEO, United Way of Rhode Island
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Justanidiot
and if you go kiss the speaker's ring, you may get some money for your group too.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear Justanidiot,
For the record, I don't think that's what it takes. None of the organizations listed above are "ring-kissing" organizations, but if that is what it takes to fund the hungry, the homeless, and the victims, then I will be happy to do it. I'd even shine his shoes. I'v seen the R.I. Food Bank and Crossroads from the inside and their work saves lives, plain and simple, they save lives. That, to me, is worth a little humility. What do you think Justanidiot?
Richard Corrente
Democrat for Mayor
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 Report this
Justanidiot
sadly, mayer correnti doesn't know how you get money from the ga
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 Report this
davebarry109
The work you do is not the point. The process, very corruptible, is the point. What corrupt politician would not sandwich corruption between good deeds? Get it?
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 Report this