Children in RI Need Loving Homes--Maybe Yours!

Have you ever thought how you might help needy children in Rhode Island?

Consider foster parenting!

Find out more at Family Service of RI's Information Open House this Wednesday, January 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. at our office at 134 Thurbers Avenue, Providence--right off 95 South with plenty of free parking!

You'll obtain all the information you'll need on how you can give a deserving child a safe and nurturing home.

Interested?  Call Greg Wright at 401-331-1350 ext. 3305 or email him at wrightgr@familyserviceri.org.

Get Ready for Valentine's Day this Wednesday Night at Alex and Ani!

Make it a special Valentine's Day and help Family Service of RI at the same time!  Join us for a night of Valentine's Day shopping this Wednesday, January 29, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Alex and Ani location in Wayland Square, Providence.

Fifteen percent of sales go to Family Service of RI.

If you can attend please contact Julie Casimiro at casimiroju@familyserviceri.org or call 401-519-2289.

Celebrate by Helping Someone in Need

There are just a few hours left in 2013!  It's a time for reflection and a time to look forward.

What better way to end one year and begin another than by helping someone in need?

For more information on how you might help, please click here.

Happy New Year from all of us at Family Service of RI!

Our Early Intervention Program Celebrates the Holidays

Family Service of Rhode Island's Early Intervention program held a holiday party the other day for dozens of children in the program--and their moms and dads too!

In addition to meeting Santa, the boys and girls had fun with holiday crafts.

Our Early Intervention program provides a range of services for children from birth to age 3 with or at risk of developmental delays.

Special shout out to Little Kids, Inc. for providing gifts!

Help a Child Smile & Stay Warm

Too often children we serve don't have the coats and gloves needed to effectively protect them from the winter cold.

Some even have holes in their shoes!

We do what we can for these boys and girls and their families, but the need is overwhelming.

Perhaps you could help a child smile and stay warm with donations of new coats and gloves, retail and grocery gift certificates, and toys too because it's the holiday season.

Please contact Julie Casimiro at 401-519-2289 or email her.

Thank you!

Rhode Island Marks World AIDS Day Over the Next Five Days

A number of World AIDS Day activities are taking place in Rhode Island starting on Sunday and continuing for a number of days.  Prevention is the theme.

For more information and a complete listing of events, please click here.

You're Invited to the State House for World AIDS Day Event

Designer Estate Clothing Sale Saturday November 23

The administration team at Whole Foods Market University Heights in Providence recently volunteered to help Family Service of Rhode Island prepare for their clothing sale as part of their team building and desire to support the community during the holiday season.

Support the work of Family Service of Rhode Island by attending a Designer Estate Clothing Sale, Saturday, November 23, 9 to noon at 404 Wickenden Street in Providence's Fox Point neighborhood.

Family Service of Rhode Island received a huge donation of women's clothing, including designer evening wear, career wear, outerwear, shoes, jewelry and accessories. 

Names like Jones of New York, Ralph Lauren and Anne Klein are included in the collection, which features mostly sizes 10 to 12.

  

For more information, please call Julie Casimiro at 401-519-2289 or email her at casimiroju@familyserviceri.org.

Your support assists in Family Service of Rhode Island’s work helping children traumatized by crime and violence, students facing educational barriers such as absenteeism and bullying, families in poverty, and many others in need in Rhode Island.

State Police Major Leads Walking School Bus

State Police Major James M. Manni led Family Service of Rhode Island’s Walking School Bus Tuesday afternoon, November 12, starting at the Mary E. Fogarty Elementary School in Providence.  It started to get very cold as the children ended the school day and had to begin the journey home.

The Walking School Bus provides routes to and from school led by volunteers.  The initiative ensures that each child, living within a mile of the school, who needs to walk arrives on time and returns home safely, even when a family member is unable to walk with him or her. 

The Walking School Bus is reducing school tardiness and absenteeism. The program also promotes a positive community spirit as volunteers and school children walk through the neighborhoods surrounding the school.

The Walking School Bus is part of Family Service of Rhode Island’s “Providence Children’s Initiative,” based at the school and providing a comprehensive, collaborative program to improve educational and social development outcomes for children and families in the South Providence neighborhood.

Family Service of Rhode Island has invited a number of community leaders to lead the Walking School Bus to raise awareness of the program and to help recruit volunteers.  Anyone interested in volunteering should call 401-331-1350 ext. 3457.

Bringing Business and Faith Communities Together to Help People in Need

Barbara Martin, LICSW, of Pawtucket, received the Rhode Island State Council of Churches’ “Partners in Faith Award” Thursday October 31 at the Council’s awards breakfast.

She  received the recognition for founding the “Partners IN Service” (PINS) program, an initiative of the Urban Core Family Care Community Partnership (UCFCCP), which is led by Family Service of Rhode Island and funded by the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Under PINS, community partners, such as congregations and businesses, share skills and contribute household goods, clothing and other basics to families receiving wraparound social services from UCFCCP member agencies.  UCFCCP and PINS serve families in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cranston.

“For families struggling to make financial and emotional ends meet, connection to a caring faith community or business can make all the difference,” said Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO of Family Service of Rhode Island. “Congratulations to Barbara, and thank you for bringing PINS to Family Service of Rhode Island!  Your commitment and creativity are transforming lives.”

Nearly twenty congregations, including Christian churches, synagogues and a mosque, participate along with several businesses.  Ms. Martin brought the PINS idea with her from Vermont, where she lived and worked for many years.

For more information about PINS, please call 401-639-4706.

Brighter Futures Luncheon Thursday October 24

Our 9th annual Brighter Futures luncheon is coming up Thursday, October 24, noon at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

This is a important fundraiser.  Your support will help ensure that Family Service of Rhode Island can provide individuals with the highest standard of assistance and support possible.

During the event, we honor a person or organization helping to build brighter futures for people in need in the community.  This year's Brighter Futures award recipient is Providence Mayor Angel Taveras.

Please join us and hundreds of others from across Rhode Island.  Call 401-519-2274, or email seats@familyserviceri.org, or purchase a seat on-line by visiting this page.

NBC 10 anchor Patrice Wood is our emcee, and she always does a great job!

Hope to see you there!

AIDS Walk for Life is Saturday

There is still time to join the AIDS Walk for Life, happening this Saturday, September 28!

It's the area's largest event dedicated to raising awareness and funds for HIV prevention and testing, and providing care for people living with HIV/AIDS.  It starts at 9 a.m. on the State House lawn (city side).

See us on The Rhode Show here.  Sign up here.

Tips for Speaking with a Child in the DC Navy Yard Shootings Aftermath

Parents may have questions about how to talk with a child about the DC Navy Yard shootings.

The child trauma and loss center at Family Service of RI, the state site for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, offers some quick tips:

--Limit exposure to the media.  Be aware that children are always listening.

--If a child is asking questions about the event, reassure that he/she is safe.

--Keep adult conversations for adult ears only.

More tips and resources are available here.

Starting the School Year Right Thanks to National Grid

Back row, l to r, National Grid's Gladys Sarji; 
Family Service of RI's Adrienne Nicoloro, Tigest Gizaw; 
National Grid's Karen Jasinowski. Front, l to r,
Family Service of RI's Samantha Hightower, Candace 
Johndrow; National Grid's Shelby Doherty

Thanks to National Grid employees, many youngsters and teachers are starting the school year right!

National Grid selected a small number of nonprofits--including, fortunately, Family Service of RI--to donate school supplies to so students and their teachers will have the tools they need to succeed.

They provided us 49 backpacks filled with school supplies as well as additional school supplies. Donations were directed to Family Service of RI's Youth Success program and The Providence Children's Initiative.

Youth Success helps Providence youth, both male and female, with pregnancy, parenting and education issues.  The Providence Children's Initiative is our South Providence-based program working to improve academic, economic and social outcomes; one of its well-known efforts is The Walking School Bus.

Many thanks to National Grid and its generous employees!

Family Service of RI Board President Malcolm Farmer Remembers the Civil Rights Fight

To mark the 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the Providence Journal spoke with Rhode Islanders who headed south to fight for civil rights in the1960s.

Including Family Service of RI's board president Malcolm Farmer, III.

Helping Children Touched by Tragedy

Family Service of RI has a long history of helping children and families victimized by crime and violence, and is a leader in the state and beyond on these critical issues.

NBC 10 recently spoke with our Susan Erstling, Ph.D., who heads our child trauma work, for insight on helping children touched by tragedy.

News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

Thank You Gilbane!

Thank you Gilbane for choosing Family Service of RI for your "Jeans for Charity Friday." We truly appreciate this recognition and support!

Volunteer for The Walking School Bus!

Are you available to help young children get to school on-time and ready to learn?  Become a Walking School Bus volunteer.

You must be at least 18 and able to walk a mile. Ideal for college students!

For more details, call 401-331-1350 ext. 3457.

Learn more about The Walking School Bus here.

Congrats to Tom Bertrand at AIDS Project RI

Congrats to Tom Bertrand for his recognition from our friends at Sojourner House!

Tom is executive director of our AIDS Project RI division.

Check out the write up about Tom here.

28th Annual AIDS Walk Announced

The 28^th Annual AIDS Walk for Life has been scheduled for Saturday, September 28 beginning at 9 a.m.   

The 2.5 mile walks begins and ends on the Rhode Island State House lawn.

 

The event will be emceed by NBC 10 news anchor and Health Check 10 reporter Barbara Morse Silva and co-chaired by Drs. Charles Carpenter and Philip Chan.

Hosted by AIDS Project Rhode Island, along with various partner agencies, the AIDS Walk for Life is the area’s largest event dedicated to raising awareness for HIV prevention, testing, and care.

"One out of five people living with HIV do not even know that they are infected," said Thomas Bertrand, MPH, executive director of AIDS Project Rhode Island. 

The goal at this year’s walk is to promote HIV testing among all Rhode Islanders who may be at risk for HIV.  “Prevention is the solution,” he said.

For more information, contact Amy Stein at amy@aidsprojectri.org.  

To register to walk or to make a donation, visit http://www.firstgiving.com/aidswalkri/2013.

AIDS Project Rhode Island is a division of Family Service of Rhode Island.