Bill Applegate gave us this inspiration quoting from an old proverb:

Holly Applegate thanked Liz Messier and her committee for putting together a wonderful evening at the Barker Playhouse. She also thanked Cap Willey for donating Uncle Tony’s pizza, and Bill Applegate for donating the wine for the reception.

 

Holly encouraged everyone to attend the May 31^st  Rotary member/ guest meeting. This is an important recruitment effort. Senator Jack Reed is the guest speaker.

 

Art Norwalk spoke about a June career fair for Kizirian School second grade students. Rotarians are welcome to talk to the students about their current or former careers. For additional information contact Art.

 

President elect Steve Hug will be reaching out to members to discuss ideas for the upcoming Rotary year beginning on July 1^st.  He’s interested in your thoughts, please answer his email!

Ric Wild, community outreach and volunteer manager at Crossroads RI, spoke about current and future plans of the agency. It is the leading provider of housing services to Rhode Islanders. While Crossroads is well known as an emergency housing provider, the agency’s focus and vision is much broader. Most of its budget and resources concentrate on permanent housing solutions with a vision of making sure everyone in RI who wants a home can have a home.

 

The agency uses a multi level framework, Housing First, that concentrates on four areas of intervention and support:  1) diversion (keeping people out of homelessness in the first place) by helping them with financial assistance to stay in their current home  2) five shelters that meet the different needs of women, families, men, couples and victims of domestic abuse  3) education and employment training programs to give individuals the skills (like GED and CNA training)  they need to never face homelessness again and  4) a rapid rehousing program providing financial and case management support for people in crisis due to an accident, divorce or other life event. All programs are designed to give people a dignified and permanent place to live. Ric shared a reminder that helps keep the focus,“if we’re not taking about housing, we’re talking about the wrong thing.”

 

Crossroads is in the quiet stages of a capital campaign that will help make this vision a reality. Funds will support a housing development plan that includes: a replacement building for the current Providence (Broad Street) building with 176 units of  permanent supportive housing with kitchenettes and private baths; a new concept health and housing building  that will have 36 apartments on the second and third floors and a possible partnership with a health facility on the first floor serving the needs of medically fragile individuals and rehabilitation of the Broad Street building into 84 units.

 

A video about a successful client captured what it meant for her and her medically necessary seizure alert dog, Belle, to have Crossroad’s help.  She reached out to them because she couldn’t afford an apartment costing $650 on her $750 monthly income and had only her dog and backpack. She said staff made her feel safe from her initial contact by giving her temporary housing and case management services. She said she couldn’t believe it when they told her they had found her a permanent apartment that would cost her only 30% of her income. She adds this is my home and I’m so grateful!