By MERI R. KENNEDY Focus on mental health NAMI Rhode Island is the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It offers an array of education and training programs and services for individuals living with mental illness, family members,
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NAMI Rhode Island is the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It offers an array of education and training programs and services for individuals living with mental illness, family members, schools, providers, and the general public. These programs draw on the experience of individuals with mental illness and family members who have learned to live well with their illnesses and are eager to help others, as well as the expertise of mental health professionals and educators.
Programs are free and virtual. For more information on programs or becoming a volunteer, visit www.namirhodeisland.org, call (401) 331-3060 or email info@namirhodeisland.org.
The Cranston Parks & Recreation Department, with the help of local businesses, is putting together Easter treats for Cranston children through grade five.
Families must call (401) 780-6169 or email rlynch@cranstonri.org to register through March 17. Details on where and when to pick up treats will be discussed with callers when they register. Facemasks must be worn when picking up treats, and COVID-19 safety rules will be followed.
Pickups will be planned for the week before Easter Sunday. Bags will have items in them for families to assemble.
Organizers will not be able to accommodate unregistered families.
During the month of March, the city’s Department of Public Works offers residents an opportunity to have bulky waste items picked up free of charge, with certain restrictions.
Residents must call Waste Management at 800-972-4545 to schedule a free bulky waste pickup. Pickups are limited to one scheduled trip with up to three items per residential unit. Bulky waste does not include mattresses, construction debris, TVs or electronic goods, white goods or any household trash/garbage bags that would fit into a city-provided 65-gallon trash cart or overflow bags.
For more information, visit the city’s website, www.cranstonri.com.
The Cranston YMCA will be hosting Summer Enrichment Camp and is looking forward to bringing all of its amazing enrichment opportunities back into the Y. Students will have the opportunity to swim, play outdoors, take part in STEM activities, do arts and crafts, and so much more.
The camp will run for 10 weeks, beginning June 28 to July 2. The final week will run from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, pending the return date for Cranston Public Schools.
The cost for YMCA members is $245 per week, while the cost for non-members is $300 per week. Financial assistance is available.
For more information, contact Jess Tate, camp director, at jtate@gpymca.org.
Congratulations to Cranston residents Deevena Annavarjula, Juliana Ferranti and Ryan Mallozzi, who made the dean’s list at the University of Connecticut this past semester.
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 (401) 467-7013 or visit www.comcap.org.
Residents of Cranston at risk of losing their home as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible to receive up to six months of mortgage assistance.
The Cranston CDBG Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program assists low-income Cranston families earning under 80 percent of the median income.
For more information, call CCAP’s Social Services at 467-7013.
RI Housing’s Hardest Hit Fund Rhode Island (HHFRI) program is offering zero-interest, forgivable loans to eligible Rhode Island homeowners who became unemployed or underemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to make their mortgage payments.
Loan proceeds may provide eligible homeowners with up to six months of mortgage payment assistance and a mortgage will be recorded on the homeowner’s property. Learn more about the loan program and eligibility at www.rihousing.com/hhfri.
A new rental assistance program, RentReliefRI, is scheduled to launch in late March. This program will help eligible Rhode Island renters struggling to pay their rent or utilities due to COVID-19. Visit www.RentReliefRI.com to learn more and sign up to be notified when applications open.
The Cranston Public Library will assist community members who do not currently have an email account in obtaining an email address needed to register for COVID-19 vaccination.
This service is available at the Central Library, 140 Sockanosset Cross Road, every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. Librarians will be available to help patrons create their first email account and navigate COVID-19 vaccine information.
Patrons are asked to call the Reference desk at (401) 943-9080, ext. 3, to register.
Patrons must have a cell phone and must bring that phone with them. If they do not have a cell phone, they may use the phone number of a trusted person for the email account creation.
For more information, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org.
Now in effect, Chair Exercise will be held on both Mondays and Fridays only until further notice. The hours are 9:30 to 10 a.m. in the Activity Room.
CCAP’s VITA Preparation Assistance Program provides free tax preparation for individuals and families earning less than $60,000.
Last year, CCAP’s VITA program filed over 1,000 federal tax returns, helping Rhode Island families receive $2 million in refunds without any cost. The program’s volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS and will help file federal and state income taxes. IRS e-file is the most accurate, safest and fastest way to file a tax return. Refunds can arrive in as little as 10 days.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all returns will be done via drop-off. Call (401) 467-7013 for more information.
The Chartercare Foundation is now accepting applications for undergraduate and graduate medical education scholarships for the 2021 academic year.
The scholarships will support studies in nursing, pharmacy, dental hygienists, physician assistants, public health, occupational and physical therapy, dieticians, etc. The scholarship is open to Rhode Island residents only, and the application deadline is March 31, 2021.
Please visit chartercarefoundation.org and click on “scholarships.”
Applications are now available at www.ppacri.org/artsscholarships for the 2021 ARTS Scholarships Program. This year marks the program’s 25th anniversary! Since 1996, the program has awarded 700 arts scholarships.
The ARTS Scholarships 2021 program, sponsored by The Textron Charitable Trust and the PPAC Annual Fund Donors with support from WPRI 12, awards up to $500 in financial assistance to each of the 30 talented Rhode Island students selected as recipients. Qualified students must be age 11-14 by June 1, 2021, and reside in and attend school in Rhode Island.
These scholarships offer young artists an opportunity to participate in local summer arts education programs that will broaden each student’s experience in their chosen area of study.
The Lt. Jim Pagano Foundation, now in its 10th year, will again be offering $6,000 in college scholarships to graduating seniors in Cranston.
The Lt. Jim Pagano Foundation Scholarship is a nonrenewable $1,500 award to be granted to two students from Cranston High School East and two students at Cranston High School West to help defray the costs associated with attending a four-year college.
The awards are meant to assist those students who best represent the values of academic achievement, extracurricular activities, community service and well-rounded individuals with a drive to succeed.
The Lt. Jim Pagano Foundation was established in memory of the late James Pagano, a 17-year veteran of the Cranston Fire Department and a devoted family man, loyal friend and respected gentleman whose life was senselessly cut short by gun violence. The mission of the foundation is to make charitable grants to individuals, groups and organizations that improve the quality of life for children, and foster character building and a strong foundation for their future. Its work is made possible by the generous contributions and involvement from the community.
For information about the scholarship, visit www.jimpaganofoundation.com or follow the foundation on Facebook.
CCAP’s Learn to Earn L.I.F.E., or Learning Information For Everything, Training Program is a 60-hour paid life skills workshop that will cover topics not always taught in school. It is a virtual program with interactive projects and activities and is designed for participants between the ages of 14 and 24. Participants are paid $11.50 an hour.
Learn about daily living, self-care, positive relationships, housing, work and study skill as well as career education planning, goal setting and customer service. To register, call the Cranston Skills & Youth Center at 562-8325.
The RSVP Program at Cranston’s Department of Senior Services is seeking volunteers to help to deliver brown bag lunches to seniors in the community, run errands for seniors and transport local homebound seniors to medical appointments.
You must be 55 years of age or older to volunteer and a BCI is required. Mileage reimbursement is given to cover travel costs. AmeriCorps Seniors will also provide insurance protection with three types of coverage – excess accident medical coverage, excess volunteer liability insurance and excess automobile liability insurance.
If you are interested in becoming an RSVP volunteer, contact Karen Porto at 780-6159 for an interview.
Are you bored? Lonely? Looking for new experiences? The Zero Isolation Program may be for you.
Cranston RSVP is assisting Dr. Nicholson of Quinnipiac University School of Nursing in offering an online program to enhance social integration.
You will be able to meet new people and learn about psychosocial conditions while taking part in interactive small-group activities. Seniors 60 years of age and older participate for about 90 minutes per week for six weeks.
To express interest in participating or for additional details, contact Dr. Nicholson at (203) 582-6542 or nicholas.nicholsonjr@gmail.com.
The Cranston Public Library is excited to announce two upcoming author events.
On Tuesday, Tuesday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m., author Marty Podskoch will discuss his book, “Rhode Island Civilian Conservation Corps Camps: Their History, Memories and Legacy.” This book explores the history of the camps and includes maps, photographs and interview anecdotes.
On Tuesday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m., Ted Fleming, author of “Develop: 7 Practical Tools to Take Charge of Your Career,” will share how to address the three most common challenges to career development and advancement.
Both events will be held online and are free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.cranstonlibrary.org/visiting-authors.
Need a hand with your rent or utilities? CCAP’s new Online Application Portal can help.
As part of its continuous effort to provide the best possible service, CCAP is pleased to announce the launch of the new application platform at www.apply.comcap.org.
With a goal of expanding access to CCAP’s social services programs, the application portal will improve clients’ access to up-to-date housing and utility assistance program information and allow clients to upload documents and electronically sign applications.
For questions about the new portal, email info@comcap.org or call (401) 467-7013.
Participants can sign-up to receive free text message requests and provide food pick-up and delivery to fight hunger.
During this pandemic, Rhode Islanders have suffered deep losses. We’ve lost friends, family and neighbors to COVID, and continue to watch as many are still struggling with its lingering effects. We have masked over our smiles, socially distanced ourselves away from hugs, skipped critical rites of passage, and communed through one Zoom too many. Yet this week, Rhode Islanders have a new tool to fight pandemic despair and increase happiness through social connection.
Be Kind RI, a technology platform developed by Nesterly Inc., works similar to a dating site to pair volunteers with neighbors who need them by utilizing text alerts. Brought to Rhode Island through an innovative partnership between Age Friendly Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and Family Service of Rhode Island, Be Kind RI is first tackling the hunger crisis in our state, as more than 25 percent of Rhode Islanders experience food insecurity.
Here’s how it works: volunteers register, define where and when they can lend a helping hand, and receive a text to pick up groceries for a nearby neighbor in need from a local food pantry or grocery. Be Kind RI allows volunteers to accept the request or take a pass – no hard feelings! Projects that are passed go to the next volunteer on the text/SMS list. Unlike other volunteer programs, this service is 100 percent free to use and hyper-local, so Rhode Islanders can opt to do a service project in their neighborhoods, or a nearby one.
Be Kind RI is currently recruiting 200 volunteers and will launch food assistance support for seniors and others at higher risk for COVID during the week of March 15.
For more information and to register, visit www.bekindri.org.
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 to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Jennifer Pelkey at jpelkey@comcap.org or (401) 318-2555.
Spring 2021 will arrive at 5:37 a.m. Saturday, March 20, which is squarely in the middle of the range of days on which it can fall, March 19, 20 or 21. The first day of spring is also known as the vernal equinox. Spring and fall begin at an equinox, while summer and winter begin at a solstice. (Source: March Fun Facts)
To submit your news from the community, email Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. This includes virtual events which should be submitted two to three weeks ahead of the event. 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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