Welcome to the June-July issue of ProvPlan’s e-newsletter. Our first story this month is a sad one – about the death of Tom Anton, the chairman of our Board and longtime source of wisdom and strength for me. Tom died early last month after a long battle with cancer and the story below outlines how much he meant to the organization. We also have good news to share – the graduation of 19 young people from YouthBuild with eight graduates beginning construction apprenticeship programs, the most ever. In addition, we profile The Blessing Way, a recent recipient of a New Roots capacity building grant. The next issue will come out in early September. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of the summer and share this issue with others and your feedback with us.

Thanks,
Pat McGuigan, Executive Director
pmcguigan@provplan.org

In Memoriam: Thomas J. Anton 
Tom Anton, the chairman of the Board of Directors of The Providence Plan, died in early June after a long battle with cancer. Tom, along with our first chairman, Fred Lippitt, was one of the founders of The Providence Plan in the early 1990s. For the past 15 years, Tom provided wisdom and leadership as a board member, as vice chairman and, after Fred’s death, as chairman. During all that time, Tom was a source of strength and advice, sharing his passion for the city of Providence and his fierce commitment to the organization’s growth and success.

Born and raised in the working-class neighborhoods of Worcester, Tom was a city guy; he believed deeply in cities as places of opportunity for all people, and he saw them as the frontline of our efforts as a country to confront the issues of race and class that continue to divide us. He gave generously of his time and energy to the city and the state, serving as the chairman of the Board of the Providence Housing Authority for more than 15 years, playing a critical role in the launch of Rhode Island Kids Count, and helping with the implementation of a more progressive welfare reform program in the state.
Tom had a long and distinguished academic career, teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Illinois, and the University of Michigan. He was the founding director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions at Brown University and served as director from 1984 to 2000. Tom was an internationally renowned political scientist whose studies of federalism and public policy won many prestigious awards, including the Distinguished Federal Scholar Award from the American Political Science Association in 2000.

Tom’s commitment to The Providence Plan was unequaled. He was always ready with ideas for improving programs, expanding our database and website resources, searching for new funding sources, and representing the organization to new partners. He used his skill and experience to define our mission as a new kind of public-private partnership to promote the economic and social well-being of the city of Providence, its people and its neighborhoods. Our success over the past 15 years is a testament to his leadership. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom’s wife, Barbara, along with his three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Service is scheduled for July 19 at 1:30 pm in the Manning Chapel at Brown University.

Revamped network locates city resources tailored to your needs
Are you looking for a substance abuse counselor with expertise in treating young adults? A GED program for high school dropouts in a particular neighborhood? Legal services for immigrants? Art programs for the elderly?

The Providence Community Resource Network (PCRN), a searchable database of opportunities and organizations in Providence, was created to help residents and agencies identify a wide range of available services. Its highly refined search engine allows users to find services in specific locations and which target specific populations. And with the click of a button, all of this information is seamlessly converted into Spanish.

The RI Family Life Center (FLC) has expanded and enhanced PCRN, a database originally developed at The Providence Plan. Launched several months ago, the new site (www.pcrn.info) now features some 600 updated opportunities sponsored by more than 160 agencies. PCRN users will find information not only on specific services, but also on the agencies that offer them. Google maps clearly illustrate their locations. [more on PCRN...]

With pomp and ceremony, YouthBuild salutes this year’s graduates
In their caps and gowns, in an auditorium filled to capacity, 19 YouthBuild Providence students received diplomas on June 30th , marking the completion of a 10-month program designed to give them the skills necessary to pursue careers in the construction field.

Less than a year ago, many of these same young men and women had few prospects beyond minimum-wage jobs and a street life that all too often involves drugs and crime. Today, thanks to their own perseverance and the preparation they received through YouthBuild, these graduates are ready to embark on satisfying careers with strong wages.

Eight members of this year’s class have been accepted into highly coveted apprenticeships – three with the carpenters’ union, two with the laborers’ union, one with the electricians’ union, and two with the tapers’ union. Still others are continuing their education at area colleges. [more on YouthBuild...]

Finding a Way back into the community
On June 13, New Roots Providence announced the 21 recipients of its Capacity Building Grants, which are designed to help small organizations in Providence enhance their ability to serve those in need. This month we are profiling one of these recipients, The Blessing Way.

Some years back, in her role as one of eight chaplains at the Adult Correctional Institutions, the Rev. Joyce Penfield became increasingly aware of the scarcity of services available to people leaving prison and re-entering the community.

“These people were being released to nothing,” she says. “There was no help.” And, she adds, “there was a lot of death.” In fact, with the help of a correctional officer, Ms Penfield tracked the deaths of more than a dozen recently released women in a single year, most of them due to homicide or drugs. “I saw this whole waste of wonderful lives.”

In 2003 while on a retreat, Ms Penfield wrote a paper outlining her concerns and a rationale for re-entry services. She distributed that paper to some 15 people of faith with professional backgrounds that were applicable to the work at hand. That group met for the first time in March 2004; by the summer of that year, The Blessing Way was incorporated, and by the following winter the organization, now a licensed nonprofit, had raised $16,000. In the spring of 2005, its first programs were under way.

The Blessing Way, which is housed at St. Peter’s and St.Andrew’s Episcopal Church in the Mount Pleasant area, serves men and women who are transitioning from prison or a drug rehabilitation program back to the community. Its name comes from a Navajo term for a sacred ceremony marking the turning point in a person’s life. Although it is a faith-based organization and has a spiritual component, The Blessing Way is non-denominational. [more on The Blessing Way...]

Providence Community Resource Network, cont.
Nick Horton and Paul Pasaba are the MIS specialists at FLC responsible for the revamped site. Although developed initially to expedite the work of the FLC – an organization that helps ex-offenders and their families by providing long-term holistic case management services – the PCRN is a valuable resource for other organizations as well.

But ProvPlan and the FLC see PCRN as much more than a useful tool. It is, in fact, an active network of agencies working together to keep each other informed. Agencies interested in becoming more involved in the network can become PCRN partners or PCRN stewards. For information, contact Maria Alvarado, a Providence Plan staff member funded by Making Connections Providence. Maria, who speaks both English and Spanish, can be reached by phone at (401) 490-8880 or by e-mail at malvarado@provplan.org. [top]

YouthBuild, cont.
At the graduation, which was held at the Met Black Box Auditorium on Public Street, Providence Mayor David Cicilline congratulated the graduates and presented them with citations recognizing their accomplishments and community service. This year’s class – in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Greater Providence Inc. – built a house in the Silver Lake neighborhood that will soon be home to a low-income family.

On alternate weeks, students attended academic classes in preparation for their GED (general educational development) diploma. Thirteen of the students now have their high school credentials; the remaining six are close to completion, an extraordinary achievement considering that some entered the program with just third-grade reading levels.

The demand for this highly successful program is clear. Already, with little formal recruiting or advertising, YouthBuild Providence has received 130 applications for the 30 spots available in the class that will get under way this fall. Applications for the program will be accepted until August 18. For further information, please call the YouthBuild office at (401) 273-7528. [top]

 

Blessing Way, cont.
Since its founding, well over 500 men and women have participated in one or more of The Blessing Way’s programs or services, all offered at no charge. Among the most popular of these programs are the Blessing Way Circles – or Relapse Prevention Support Circles – which are held weekly both at the church and at The Providence Center’s Short-Term Drug Treatment Center. The purpose of these meetings, which are led by trained peers or volunteers, is to hold one another accountable for growth and change. In a calm setting filled with soothing music and incense, participants meditate, discuss concerns and goals, and simply pause and reflect on the wisdom that emerges in the room.

Other services offered by The Blessing Way include: personal guidance and/or spiritual counseling for those who seek individual coaching, encouragement and guidance; case management by volunteer case managers who interview and register future participants before their release; referrals for social services, such as housing or substance abuse counseling; and emergency support in a crisis – energy assistance or a bus ticket, for example. These small-ticket items are given only to participants of the program on a one-time basis, but are sometimes enough to avert a larger crisis, such as losing a job. Families and significant others are encouraged to participate in all of the activities and are seen as key players in a successful transition. [top]