Editor’s note: Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many organizations have canceled or postponed events scheduled for the coming weeks. We advise readers to check on the status of various events, and we will provide updates as they become available.
Summer jobs program with CCAP
CCAP is now accepting online applications for its 2020 Real Skills For Youth summer work-based learning program.
CCAP’s youth employment, training and education programs assist young people between the ages of 14 and 24 through free education, training programs and job placement assistance. All enrollees are connected with a case manager to assist them in their education or employment goals throughout the program.
To be eligible for the summer employment program, applicants must reside in Rhode Island, be authorized to work in the United States, be at least 14 years old by July 1 and be available to work between July 6 and Aug. 16. Age groups vary based on individual programs.
For more information or to apply, visit comcap.org/services/education-job-training/summerjobs.
CCAP Food Bank offers help, seeks donations
The COVID-19 public health emergency is creating an urgent food security challenge for households in the community. CCAP’s Food Bank, located at 311 Doric Ave., lower level, can help, and can be reached by calling 467-7013.
The Food Bank’s hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30-6:30 p.m.; and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Food Bank has suspended walk-in service. Clients can pick up their regular monthly pre-made food bags at the Food Bank window.
Donations may be made at CCAP’s location at 311 Doric Ave. in Cranston on any weekday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., excluding holidays.
CCAP is seeking paper goods, cleaning products and a range of nonperishable food items. Specifically sought are peanut butter, whole wheat pasta, tuna, brown rice, canned and dried beans, boxed macaroni and cheese, canned soups and stews, granola bars, canned fruits and vegetables, tomato sauce, breakfast cereals and extra virgin olive oil.
For more information, call 467-7013 or visit comcap.org.
Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market opens with new rules
The Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market opened for the season May 2. The market will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon until late October. It is held at 60 Rhodes Place in Cranston.
The market’s organizers have made some changes to keep vendors and patrons safe. All foot traffic is now one-way from start to finish. Stands are more than 8 feet apart to create social distancing space and cones clearly mark where to stand. Masks must be worn by all visitors and vendors, and hand-washing stations can be found throughout the market. Visitors are additionally encouraged to keep their pets at home.
Parking for the market is in the upper parking lot, and no eating is permitted while shopping at the market.
For more information, visit pawtuxetmarket.com.
RI Donation Exchange open for appointments only
The Rhode Island Donation Exchange showroom reopened by appointment only on Tuesday, May 19. Showroom visits are limited to three or fewer customers per appointment. No one will be allowed into the building without a prescheduled appointment. To book an appointment to shop, visit donationexappt.as.me or call 401-258-5480 during regular business hours.
The Rhode Donation Exchange is following www.cdc.gov and the State of Rhode Island’s recommended protocol for reopening retail business and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Nobody sick can enter the building, and temperature checks are required of all staff and customers. Employees and customers are required to wear face coverings.
Appointment hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Girl Scouts Digital Drop-In Series for Daisy members
Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England’s will host a free Digital Drop-In Series, which welcomes all girls from pre-K to first grade. It will be held on Saturday mornings from 9:30-10:15 a.m. Future dates to meet are May 23 and June 6.
This free weekly virtual meet-up will include sharing stories from the Daisy Garden with simple activities and engagement for younger children. The program is free, and once registered, participants will receive a link and password to the Zoom meeting along with any details about supplies needed (supplies will be simple household items).
To register, visit gssne.org. For questions or more information, email customercare@gssne.org or call 331-4500.
Head Start recruitment
CCAP’s Cranston Child Development Center’s Head Start Program is kicking off its annual recruitment drive for the 2020-21 school year
Head Start/Early Head Start provides a free, comprehensive, developmentally appropriate early-education experience for children up to 5 years old, including services for pregnant women.
Participants must meet program requirements. Breakfast, lunch and snack are provided. Extended day services are available for families who are working or in school. The hours available are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. DHS funding accepted. The program actively recruits children with special needs and homeless families.
CCAP also has state-funded pre-K classrooms. To be eligible, children must turn 4 by Sept. 1. The state funded pre-K selection process is by lottery. To sign up for an email notification for the 2020-2021 school year, visit surveymonkey.com/r/QL3KWPX.
All referrals are welcome. For questions or additional information, contact Bernadette Groves at 427-4066 or bgroves@comcap.org. The main number is 943-5160.
50th reunion for Cranston East rescheduled
The Cranston High School East class of 1970 has rescheduled its 50th reunion to Aug. 7, 2021, at the Cranston Country Club. Cocktail hour starts at 6 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner and music by Tommy Tunes. The Reunion Committee is seeking help in locating classmates. Please send information to Jim Brailsford at jimbo521@cox.net or Barbara Russo at twinn52@yahoo.com.
Trash and yard waste
Trash pick-up is continuing on a normal schedule, while yard waste pick-up will be on residents’ usual trash day until mid-December. For more information, visit cranstonri.com.
Tree planting program
Cranston’s tree planting program has red oak and tulip trees available to plant in front yards this spring. The trees are free, 5-10 feet tall, and planted by a nursery. This year the city-financed program expects to plant its 200th tree. The non-profit Rhode Island Tree Council administers the program, which is returning for its sixth year in 2020. Visit the RI Tree Council (ritree.org) information.
Reunion for East class of ’65 postponed
Cranston High School East’s class of 1965’s 55th reunion has been postponed until Sept. 25, 2021, at the Radisson Hotel, 2081 Post Road, Warwick. For more information, contact michaeljsepe@yahoo.com. Community Garden
Cranston’s only community garden, the Edgewood Community Garden at Cherry Woods, is located behind Edgewood Highland Elementary School on Pawtuxet Avenue. The garden is run by the West Bay Land Trust, and the cost for a 4-by-16-foot plot is $25. New gardeners are welcome, but spots go quickly. Contact Lisa Gibb at lisagibb2@verizon.net for more information.
Warwick Vets to hold 60th reunion
Warwick Veterans Memorial High School’s class of 1960 has scheduled its 60th reunion for Sept. 12 at the Shriner’s Imperial Room, 1 Rhodes Place, Cranston. A social hour will be held from 12-1 p.m. and a lunch buffet will run from 1-4 p.m. The cost is $35 per person.
Please respond to Kathy Bouthillier, 94 Colonel John Gardner Road, Narragansett, RI 02882. Payment must be received by July 22. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door.
For questions, call Sally (Anderson) Allen at 783-0205. The committee is seeking help locating classmates.
Surveys for Health Equity Zone
The Cranston Health Equity Zone community surveys are now live. There is an adult survey (available in English, Spanish, and Khmer) and a teen survey. The survey will ultimately be used to inform initiatives to improve health in Cranston. Everyone who takes the survey will be entered in to win one of five raffle prizes. Results will be reported back to the community in the spring.
The adult survey can be found at surveymonkey.com/r/9SYXM3W, while the teen survey is available at surveymonkey.com/r/35SB2SX.
For additional information, contact karrington@comcap.org or 714-7004.
Cranston High School class of 1960 reunion
Cranston High School’s class of 1960 plans to hold its 60th reunion on Sept. 12, 2020, at the Cranston Country Club. The cost will be $50 per person. For more information, contact Joan Farmanian Fratterelli at 349-3922.
Did You Know?
In 1868, General John A. Logan issued a proclamation calling for “Decoration Day” to be observed annually and nationwide; he was commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of and for Union Civil War veterans founded in Decatur, Illinois. Memorial Day recognizes those who lost their lives in service. Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971.
To submit your news from the community, email Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. Photos in jpg format are accepted and news can include community events, promotions, academic news and nonprofit events. Email today and see your news in our column in the Cranston Herald. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we require any further information. Be sure to check out our website at cranstononline.com.
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