Free lunches for seniors

The Cranston YMCA has partnered with Blackstone Health to bring senior citizens a Power Lunch sponsored by National Grid. With additional support provided by BankRI, Power Lunch will provide free catered meals for seniors in at the YMCA, located at 1225 Park Ave.

Power Lunches will be held Monday through Friday during the summer. Seating is limited and registration is required. Participants may sign up for just one day or the whole week. A $3 suggested donation is welcomed, but not required. There are two sessions, held at 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

All diners must be 60 years of age or older. Each meal will include a sandwich, soup and fresh fruit. The YMCA will provide additional sides and water.

Power Lunch aims to help seniors beat the summer heat while enjoying a complete meal with friends old and new. There will also be opportunities to connect to resources available to increase energy efficiency and reduce costs as temperatures continue to rise.

To register or for more information, call the YMCA Welcome Center at 943-0444 or email Michelle Puhacz at mdejesus@gpymca.org.

School backpacks mission

Edgewood Congregational Church, located at 1788 Broad St. in Cranston, is collecting backpacks and school supplies for the children at Project Outreach in July and August. This important local ministry serves more than 500 families each month.

Supplies are needed for all ages, from kindergarten through high school. Some suggestions include spiral notebooks, pens, mechanical pencils, crayons, glue sticks, folders, loose-leaf paper, scissors and backpacks of all sizes.

Please bring donations to church on Sunday, or drop them off at the office during the week. Summer office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon. The collection runs through Aug. 18.

Can you host a summer food drive?

The Comprehensive Community Action Program, or CCAP, is asking for assistance this summer to help feed those in need.

Children are more likely to experience hunger during the summer months when they have no access to school meals. CCAP is asking member of the community to lend a hand by hosting a food drive at their church, workplace, service group, school or other location. Every month, the CCAP Food Bank serves over 800 families.

For more information about CCAP and how to lend a helping hand, visit comcap.org or contact Joanne Gregory, vice president of social services, at 562-8333.

CLCF announces Leo J. Castiglioni Jr. Scholarship Award winners

The CLCF Scholarship Selection Committee has announced this year’s recipients of the Leo J. Castiglioni Jr. Scholarship Award.

The recipients are Thomas Barbieri, Rebecca Dugas and Julia Hazen of Cranston High School West and Nicholas Yau of Cranston High School East. The awards are for $500 each.

The scholarship is dedicated to Leo J. Castiglioni Jr., the founder and first president of Cranston League for Cranston’s Future. It has been established to celebrate his life and to honor graduating seniors residing in Cranston who emulate Castiglioni’s civic dedication and selflessness of character.

“The committee was impressed with their credentials,” the committee said in a statement. “It is always wonderful and fulfilling for members of CLCF to witness former participants in our programs continuing with their athletic experience beyond their CLCF years … The leadership they have demonstrated in their various activities beyond CLCF and their volunteer community service activities fully express the goals CLCF has for all young people.”

14th One Act Play Festival at Artists’ Exchange

Artists’ Exchange’s One Act Play Festival has returned for its 14th season.

The festival runs through July 27 at Theatre 82, 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston. It features 10 original one-act plays written by local, regional, and national playwrights and performed by an ensemble of 27 actors of all ages, abilities and acting experience.

Performances will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. A beer and wine cash bar will be available before and during the show.

The festival’s directors are Jessica Chace, Tom Chace, Lauren Annicelli and Rhiannon Annin, with original music by Parker Chace and lighting design by Alexander Sprague.

The 2019 plays and their authors are “Game Changer” by Kay Ellen Bullard of Lincoln; “Top Shelf Tolstoy” by Maximillian Gill of Sunnyside, New York; “Up in the Air” by Ben Jolivet of Providence; “FOMO” by Rhea MacCallum of Downey, California; “/ärt/” by Steven G. Martin of Lafayette, Indiana; “When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Christmas Tree” by Rich Orloff of New York City; “Family by Numbers” by Arianna Rose of Miami Beach, Florida; “Putt-Putt” by George Sapio of Spencer, New York; “The Stand” by Caity-Shea Violette of Boston; and “The Monster Under the Bed” by Joseph Vitale of Denville, New Jersey.

For more information, call 490-9475 or visit artists-exchange.org.

‘American Creed’ at the library

The Cranston Public Library, in partnership with OneCranston Working Cities Challenge Initiative, is hosting a screening of the PBS documentary “American Creed” at the Central Library, located at 140 Sockanosset Cross Road, on Wednesday, July 24, from 6-8:30 p.m.

The screening will be followed by a community conversation facilitated by Larry Warner of United Way of Rhode Island.

In “American Creed,” former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy come together from different points of view to investigate the idea of a unifying American creed. Their spirited inquiry frames the stories of citizen-activists striving to realize their own visions of America’s promise across deepening divides.

Following the film, there will be a facilitated discussion to allow for personal reflection and dialogue. The discussion will be led by Larry Warner, a Cranston resident and director of grants and strategic initiatives for United Way of Rhode Island. Warner has a distinguished career in philanthropy and public health and was a firefighter for 15 years. Depending on the size of the audience, there may also be an opportunity to break out into smaller groups.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit cranstonlibrary.org or americancreed.org.

Summer concerts at William Hall Library

This year’s free summer concert series, “Music In Our Town,” is underway at the William Hall Library, 1825 Broad St., Cranston.

Concerts will be held on Thursday nights from 6:30-8 p.m. Nightlife Orchestra performs on July 25, followed by Cee Cee and the Riders on Aug. 1 and John Connor and the Irish Express on Aug. 8.

Additionally, William Hall Library will host free “Concerts for Kids and Kids at Heart” on Tuesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Toe Jam Puppet Band will perform July 30.

Attendees are advised to bring a blanket or chairs for use on the library’s lawn. For additional information, visit cranstonlibrary.org or contact Adrienne Gallo Girard at 781-2450 or hall@cranstonlibrary.org.

National Night Out in Cranston

On Aug. 6, the Cranston Police Department and Garden City Center will host a National Night Out 2019 event beginning at 6 p.m.

The event is part of an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August.

The event will be held at the Garden City Gazebo, where there will be activities and an interactive static display with police officers.

For more information, contact Capt. Vincent McAteer in the Office of Community Outreach 477-5127. College admissions workshop The Cranston Public Library, in partnership with the University College of Roger Williams University, will host a College Admissions Workshop on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the James T. Giles Community Room at the Central Library, 140 Sockanosset Cross Road.

Attendees will learn from a college admissions officer how to search for and apply to their dream colleges. This workshop will assist in the why, what, and how to apply to colleges as a high school student or as an adult learner. Attendees will also learn how to qualify for reduced tuition rates at the University College of Roger Williams University of $750 per course (three credits) for eligible Cranston residents.

The program will be presented by Raksmey Pen, career pathway specialist at University College. It is free and open to the public, and no registration is required.

For more information, visit cranstonlibrary.org.

Comedy fundraiser for West field

The Cranston West Alumni Association will be hosting a Funny4Funds comedy night fundraiser on Aug. 13 at the Cranston Country Club. All contributions will go toward the improvements at the Cranston High School West field. For more information, contact David C. DiMaio at 588-1313.

‘Strong As Steel’ author at library

The Cranston Public Library will host Jon Land, author of “Strong As Steel,” on Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Central Library, located at 140 Sockanosset Cross Road.

According to the book’s publisher, in “Strong As Steel,” Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong investigates “two cases connected by a long buried secret, one that men have killed and died to protect.” Land is also the author of “Murder in Red,” the latest entry in the “Murder, She Wrote” series.

The event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be for sale, courtesy of Barrington Books.

For more information, visit cranstonlibrary.org.

Tour with Tea

The Cranston Historical Society’s Sprague Mansion will host an evening tour program on Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Participants will enjoy an intimate, relaxing early evening tour with tea in the historic Sprague Mansion Ballroom. They will also sample Queen Victoria’s favorite cake, which is still served at the Royal Palace today.

Guests will additionally receive a brief introduction on the history of the Sprague family and A&W Sprague Textile Manufacturing Co.

Seating is limited. Call 944-9226 to reserve a place. Tickets cost $15. Payment must be received by Aug. 12, and checks should be made payable to Cranston Historical Society, 1351 Cranston St., Cranston 02920.

After Aug. 12, call to inquire if seating is still available.

CCAP Chip for Charity tournament

The Comprehensive Community Action Program will host its fifth annual Chip for Charity Golf Tournament & Million Dollar Hole-in-One Contest on Thursday, Sept. 12, at Habor Lights in Warwick.

The event is CCAP’s largest fundraiser to support its programs and services. To register or for more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Lee Beliveau at 562-8353 or lbeliveau@comcap.org.

Cranston High School class of 1959 reunion

The 60th reunion of Cranston High School’s class of 1959 will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Eleven Forty Nine Restaurant, 1149 Division St., Warwick. Registration costs $50 per person. Send checks payable to “Class of Cranston High School 1959” to Dianne Apici, 573 Cedar Ave., East Greenwich, RI 02818, by Aug. 24. For more information, contact Dianne Apici at dapici@cox.net or 885-4595.

St. David’s hall rentals

St. David’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church, located at 200 Meshanticut Valley Parkway in Cranston, offers affordable rates to rent its upper and lower halls for events of all kinds. For more information, visit stdavidsonthehill.net/hall-rental or contact the church office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 942-4368.

Family health services at CCAP

Tired of ineffective yet expensive medical care? Check out Family Health Services at the Comprehensive Community Action Program. CCAP offers affordable, 24/7, professional family health and dentistry services. The experienced staff includes physicians, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals who are caring, compassionate and highly skilled. New patients are welcome. For more information, call 384-6007.

Craft Bash at Artists’ Exchange

The Artists’ Exchange, 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston, invites families to take part in free Crash Bash events on the last Saturday of every month. The expressive arts can work as a tool for strengthening students’ skills in all disciplines by offering alternative ways to think about core subjects.

Craft Bash is free and open to all ages and abilities. For more information, call 490-9475 or visit artists-exchange.org.

Reusable bag program to boost CCAP Food Bank

CCAP’s Food Bank has been selected to be a part of the Shaw’s supermarket “Give Back Where It Counts” reusable bag program, which is designed to make it easy for customers to contribute to their local community while supporting the environment. For the month of May, each time a reusable “Give Back Where It Counts” bag is purchased at the Shaw’s located at 8 Chapel View Blvd. in Cranston, $1 will be donated to CCAP's Food Bank, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the giving tag.

Did you know?

Summer is the mosquito's peak because warm temperatures make them go through their life cycle faster. More mosquitoes are laying eggs and more eggs are hatching around this time. Did you know that there are more than 3500 species of mosquitoes worldwide? Only a handful of places, like Antarctica and Iceland, have little to no traces of mosquitoes. (Source: Summer Fun Facts)

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