Cranston Chatter

By DANIEL A. KITTREDGE
Posted 10/28/20

By By MERI R. KENNEDY Children's Trunk or Treat event at the Y On Friday, Oct. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Cranston YMCA, located at 1225 Park Ave., will be hosting a drive-thru Trunk or Treat event for local families. It will be safe, it will be socially

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Children’s Trunk or Treat event at the Y

On Friday, Oct. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Cranston YMCA, located at 1225 Park Ave., will be hosting a drive-thru Trunk or Treat event for local families. It will be safe, it will be socially distant, but most importantly it will be fun.

For more information and to register, visit www. gpymca.formstack.com/forms/halloween.

Scavenger Hunt for Halloween

How about a spooky scavenger hunt to get you in the Halloween spirit? Visit the William Hall Library to pick up a scavenger hunt sheet. Complete it any time before Oct. 31 and return it to the William Hall Library for a treat bag.

Rotary seeking to help families this Thanksgiving

In the spirit of giving, please consider sponsoring a Thanksgiving food basket for local Cranston families in need. The Cranston Rotary has a goal to provide 100 baskets filled with a turkey, side dishes, vegetables, milk and apple pie.

Please message them for details, talk to your favorite Rotarian or mail a check for $35 to PO Box 3723 Cranston RI 02910. They have partnered with Stop & Shop.

Hair on Square seeking donations for House of Hope

Hair on the Square, located at 4 Rolfe Square, is holding a clothing drive for the House of Hope. Any donations of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing items are being accepted. Items can be dropped off at the salon. The most needed items include new socks, gently used gloves and hats, new men’s boxers, new or gently used hoodies and sweatshirts, new or gently used winter boots and new or gently used coats.

Drive-thru Trunk or Treat

The Cranston Parks and Recreation Department is planning a Halloween Drive-thru Trunk or Treat event on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Cranston Stadium parking lot.

If you are interested in setting up your trunk and passing out candy, please email Regina Lynch at rlynch@cranstonri.org.

COVID-19 rules will apply to volunteers and participants driving through. Volunteers handing out candy would be required to wear a mask at all times, use gloves when distributing candy and complete a health screening form provided by the Parks and Recreation Department prior to event. Organizers also need a few volunteers to help guide traffic flow, which will be in one direction.

Volunteers will be directed to set their vehicles up in every third parking spot. Flow of traffic through the Stadium parking lot will be one way. All persons (adults and children) in the vehicles coming through to receive candy will be offered a mask if they do not have one and will stay in their vehicle throughout.

A car length will be maintained between each vehicle. As the cars proceed from trunk to trunk, the children will hold their candy receptacle out the car window. Those giving out candy will use their gloved hand to put candy into the child’s receptacle. “Trunks” will be set up on both sides of the path, so traffic will be slow.

For each car coming through the drive-thru, one name and phone number per vehicle will be collected. These forms and contact information will be kept for contact tracing only.

Halloween at D. Palmieri’s Bakery

As we are all aware, Halloween in 2020 will not be like other years. Given the current circumstances, we want to do what we can to make the holiday as fun as possible for the children of Rhode Island and their parents. Therefore, all costumed children who come to D. Palmieri’s Bakery on Saturday, Oct. 31, during regular business hours will receive candy in celebration of Halloween. All COVID-related precautions must be followed. And remember, you have to say “Trick or Treat!”

Helping neighbors through CCAP

CCAP needs your help to help them reach its goal of supporting 1,500 families this holiday season.

Due to the pandemic, CCAP is conducting its holiday giving campaigns differently this year. The organization is asking for donations to purchase gift cards for those its serves as an unprecedented number of residents seek assistance during challenging times. A $50 gift card for a supermarket can help provide for a family of four.

Donors can also help fill the CCAP Food Bank’s shelves by giving non-perishable food items, paper goods and cleaning products. All food and donations can be delivered during business hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 311 Doric Ave., Cranston (lower level).

Please make checks payable to Comprehensive Community Action/Gift Cards and sent to 311 Doric Ave., Cranston, RI 02910, Attention: Holiday Giving Campaign.

Additionally, CCAP is accepting donations for its Adopt-A-Family Program. For $300, donors can support an entire family, although other amounts are accepted and appreciated.

For more information about CCAP’s Holiday Giving Campaign, contact Sherry Diaz, vice president of social services, at 562-8336 or sdiaz@comcap.org, or Lee Beliveau, vice president of development, at 562-8356 of lbeliveau@comcap.org.

Free flu clinics

The Cranston Health Equity Zone and CCAP Family Health Services will be offering free flu clinics in the community. Getting a flu shot is an easy way to help protect you and your family. To learn more, visit comcap.org

Special Halloween at Showcase Cinemas

Showcase Cinemas will be hosting a Halloween-themed partnership with PJ Masks, the superhero shows for preschoolers.

“PJ Masks: Halloween Tricksters” will feature full-length episodes, music videos, and lots of Halloween fun.

In the Halloween special, heroes Catboy, Owlette and Gekko must protect the city from Luna Girl, Night Ninja and the Wolfy Kids, who are trying to steal all the goody bags. Once again, it will be up to the PJ Masks to go into the night to save the day!

Programming will run at Showcase Cinemas Warwick Quaker Lane at 1 p.m. on Oct. 24 and 25.

Showcase Cinemas Popcorn Club members are also eligible to receive a special PJ Masks character “amulet” bracelet (while supplies last). Tickets are $5 at all locations and are now for sale online.

Customers may pre-order their movie snacks – including freshly popped popcorn, candy and soda – via the Showcase Cinemas app and website and collect them at Xpress Pick-up; concessions are now available in all Showcase Cinemas locations. Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to the theater, along with a face covering/mask, per theater safety guidelines.

A Thanksgiving helping

Starbucks of Chapel View, the Cranston Police Department, the Cranston Substance Abuse Task Force and CCAP are teaming up to bring families in need in our community a Thanksgiving meal.

Please consider purchasing a grocery store gift card the next time you are shopping. A $50 gift card will provide a family of four a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. Please bring all gift cards to the Starbucks in Chapel View for easy contact-less drop off.

CCAP’s Food Bank servers over 800 families each month and are seeing an unprecedented number of our neighbors turning to CCAP for support during this crisis. Your support and generosity will help so many in our community.

RI Dream Center needs your help

The RI Dream Center helps meet the needs of people dealing with poverty throughout Rhode Island, including through food assistance, clothing, education and other services.

Since the pandemic began, homelessness numbers have dramatically risen in our state. The need is so great and we need to continue to help as many people as possible.

The Dream Center will be purchasing 400 high-quality, waterproof backpacks and accepting donations to fill them. These filled backpacks will be passed out on the State House lawn on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 21. The winter daily essentials that will fill the backpacks include toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, hand and feet warmers, winter hats, gloves and scarfs, facemasks, new socks, liquid soap, shampoo, razors, deodorant, powder, lotion, combs and brushes, feminine hygiene products, and wipes.

Any monetary donations can be made at ridreamcenter.com/give-online. To donate any of the listed items above, please drop them off by Nov. 7 at Praise Tabernacle Church, located at 330 Park Ave. in Cranston.

Library’s Halloween costume contest

Calling all ComicCon attendees, trick-or-treaters, quarantine crafters, and Halloween hopefuls! It’s time to get dressed up and enter the Cranston Public Library Costume Contest.

From now until Oct. 31, the library will be taking photo submissions for the contest in multiple brackets, including babies, kids, teens, and group/family. Prizes will be awarded to the winner in each category.

Looking for inspiration? Follow along on the library’s YouTube channel as Oaklawn Branch librarian Tayla walks you through creating a simple but engaging costume without breaking the bank. This four-part video series will be released on Tuesdays throughout October.

For full rules and to enter the contest, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/costume-2020. For any questions, contact Alyssa, teen librarian, at teens@cranstonlibrary.org.

Holiday Meal Program

The Cranston Senior Enrichment Center is already starting to prepare for the Holiday Meal Program for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Volunteers will prepare and deliver Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to any Cranston senior who will be alone for the holidays. If you would like to volunteer to deliver meals, would like a meal or know of someone who would, please contact the center’s receptionist at 780-6000.

The Thanksgiving meal registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 13, and Christmas meal deadline is Friday, Dec. 11. For additional information, visit www.cranstonseniorcenter.com.

Troop 22 looking for Scouts

Boy Scout Troop 22 Cranston is looking for new Scouts. Following all the BSA and state of Rhode Island safety protocols, the troop is meeting, hiking and camping. It has a full schedule of activities planned for the 2020-21 program year. Troop 22 is affiliated with girls’ Troop 13-G, which is also looking for new members. Both units meet at the Edgewood Congregational Church, 1788 Broad St., at 7 p.m. on most Thursdays.

The program is for youth ages 11 to 18. For younger children, Troop 22 also has a relationship with Cub Scout Pack 2 Cranston. Anyone interested is invited to call Paul Kelley at 401-595-6726 for more information.

CCAP’s Learn to Earn teacher assistant training program

CCAP has announced that its free Learn To Earn teacher assistant training program will be held Nov. 30 through Dec. 10. The class will run for two weeks, with sessions held Monday through Thursday, noon to 3 p.m. The program is open to people between the ages of 18 and 24 with a high school diploma or GED and clean BCI. For more information, call 562-8325. Medicare open enrollment Medicare health and drug plans make changes each year to things like cost, coverage, and providers and pharmacies in their networks. Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 is when all Medicare members can change Medicare health plans and prescription drug coverage to better meet their needs for the following year.

Information for 2021 plans will be available beginning in October. To schedule an appointment, contact the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center’s Social Services Division – Jennifer at 780-6254, Amy at 780-6200, or Matt at 780-6255.

Mindful Mondays

Mindful Monday is a weekly drop-in meditation group open to all teens 13 to 18 years old. Brief meditations are facilitated by CCAP’s Community Response Program team members.

The program will be held on Mondays, on Zoom, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. beginning on Oct. 5.

For more information, contact Jennifer Pelkey at jpelkey@comcap.org or 318-2555.

Transportation volunteers for seniors

Transportation volunteers are needed for the Cranston RSVP program. RSVP is seeking volunteers to deliver brown bag lunches to seniors, run errands for seniors and transport Cranston homebound seniors to medical appointments.

Anyone interested in becoming an RSVP volunteer can contact Karen at 780-6159 for an interview. You must be 55 years of age or older to volunteer and a BCI is required. A mileage reimbursement is given to cover travel costs.

New location for three city departments

The city’s Building & Inspections, Engineering, and Community Development departments are now located at 35 Sockanosset Cross Road, Unit 6. They are no longer based at the Hamilton Building on Cranston Street. If you need their services, please visit the new location during regular city business hours. For more information, visit www.cranstonri.gov.

Study seeking seniors

The Alzheimer’s Disease & Memory Disorders Center at Rhode Island Hospital is involved in The Ahead Study, which is testing an investigational treatment aimed at delaying memory decline in people before the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are apparent.

The study is for men and women aged 55-80 who are not experiencing any memory or thinking problems but who may be at an increased risk of memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first Alzheimer’s disease prevention trial to enroll people as young as 55 years old. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, please call 606-4664.

Free dental assistant training

CCAP is excited to announce a new, free dental assistant training program. This 13-week program will be run using a hybrid model, with classroom work using Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays and hands on clinical sessions Fridays and Saturday mornings at CCAP’s Coventry dental office.

Participants must live in Rhode Island, be 18-24 years old, and have a clean BCI and a high school diploma or GED. Call the Cranston Youth Center at 562-8325 today.

CCAP Emergency Housing Assistance

The Comprehensive Community Action Program’s Emergency Housing Assistance program assists individuals/families living in Cranston, Coventry, Scituate and Foster with back rent, security deposits, mortgage assistance, late fees associated with back rent or mortgage, moving costs and utilities. Funding is limited. For more information, call CCAP at 467-7013 or visit www.comcap.org.

Neighbors helping neighbors

Barbara and Kevin Dwares of Cranston are once again collecting individually wrapped desserts such as brownies, cookies, banana breads, cookie bars, etc., to be delivered to Help The Homeless RI on Saturday afternoons. The donations are needed by noon on Fridays. Please drop them off at 46 Balsam Court in Garden City. Please put them in the plastic container located near the breezeway. The bin will be outside every Wednesday through Friday.

Trash and yard waste

Trash pick-up is continuing a normal schedule, while yard waste pick-up will be on residents’ usual trash day until mid-December. For more information, visit www.cranstonri.gov.

Did you know?

The phrase “trick or treat” is a subtle suggestion that if a treat (like candy) is given, then the child will not perform a “trick" (mischief) on the owner of the house. This popular Halloween custom has its origins in the ancient practices of “souling" and “guising.” The term “trick or treat" first appeared in print in 1927 in Canada.

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.

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