Seven local organizations receive RIF grants

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Foundation is awarding nearly $68,000 in grants to fund neighborhood-based activities from Pawtucket to Woonsocket. The funding from the Foundation’s Community Grants program will support work that ranges from restoring a Woonsocket playground to adding a music studio at Shea High School in Pawtucket. “We’re excited about these ideas for making community happen in more and better ways at the local level. Supporting community-building will improve shared places and quality of life, promote collaboration and increase community engagement,” said Jessica David, executive vice president of strategy and community investments. The seven local projects were among just 47 statewide that received funding through the competitive grant program. The maximum grant was $10,000. Most of the work is expected to be underway before the end of the year. • The Pawtucket School Department received $10,000 to create a music studio and creative space at Shea High School. The new facility will serve as a place for student interdisciplinary projects, after-school activities and community engagement events. “The studio will enable students to explore various styles of music while also embracing the diversity the student body has to offer. Through these projects, students will engage with community members and Shea alumni who are in the music industry in order to learn more about the creative process, music production and post production. Through the creation of music, or spoken word pieces, students will engage the greater Pawtucket community with community events where original works could be performed,” said Annie Lagace, a music teacher at Shea. • The Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket received $10,000 to present a series of concerts and plays at its new home in the former Lorraine Mills on Mineral Springs Avenue. The roles will be cast with local performers.

“Our goal is heritage sharing and neighborhood building. The cast will be chosen with input from leaders from each ethnic community to allow people who live there to feel ownership and pride about the arts. This is especially true when that art reflects who they are and helps to transform and heighten the public perception of that community,” said founder Richard Pitts-Wiley. “This area of Mineral Spring Avenue has long been seen as a decaying old factory zone. But, with efforts like this performing arts series and the artists moving to the Lorraine Mills site, we will be a major part of this transformation for many years.” • The Historic Metcalf Franklin Farm Preservation Association in Cumberland received $7,941 to expand community and educational outreach programs. The work will include adding an outdoor movie area and buying an event tent and other equipment. “This will allow us to expand and enhance our educational offerings. Education is central to our mission. Over the past 12 years, we have grown from reaching fewer than 100 students to reaching 1,000 students each growing season,” said Pamela Thurlow, president of the association. • Connecting Children and Families in Woonsocket received $10,000 to restore the playground at Stan “the Bulldog” Eason Park in Constitution Hill as an outdoor play and learning space for children. The grant will fund playground safe fiber surfacing and additional improvements to promote gross motor play and accessibility. “We are excited for this opportunity to bring new life and beauty to our neighborhood,” said Terese Curtin, executive director. “This outdoor play and learning space will be utilized not only by our programs, but by our whole community.” • The Arts, Sports, and Technology Resource Organization (ASTRO) received $10,000 to partner with Central Falls Mayor James Diossa, the city’s parks and recreation, police and school departments; local legislators, community leaders and students to expand free youth programming. “As a group, we are all working to bring together resources and ideas to create an exciting and engaging environment for participants to learn and be active. By offering the camp for free to all Rhode Island youth residents, we are uniting various communities towards a common goal,” said Justin Pasquazzi, president of ASTRO. • Books Are Wings in Central Falls received $10,000 to support programming for the city’s summer camp program, establish six Little Free Libraries in strategic locations throughout the city and distribute free children’s books to students throughout the school year. “The summer months are critical academic times for children. Children’s access to and ownership of books is crucial to maintain the reading skills they acquired during the school year,” said Jocelynn White, executive director. “We are thrilled to partner with the Foundation, the city of Central Falls, Colette and The June Rockwell Levy Foundation to address this need and get more books in the hands of children.” • Fuerzal Laboral in Central Falls, in collaboration with Jobs with Justice and University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth professor Eric Larson, received $10,000 to support “Working in the Shadows: Incarceration, Race, and Work in Rhode Island.” Formerly incarcerated English- and Spanish-speaking Rhode Islanders will be trained to help others who have been imprisoned and stimulate their engagement and leadership. “We are excited to work with Jobs with Justice and Eric Larson on this important effort. We join these dedicated worker champions in upholding the importance of community building and cross cultural dialogue, and striving to dispel the stigma that often hinders individuals entering post-prison life,” said Heiny Maldonado, executive director of Fuerzal Laboral.