All posts created by nancy.wolanski@unitedwayri.org

Rhode Island Food Access Office Hours

First Wednesday of Every Month | 9:30-10 a.m.

Rhode Island Food Access Office Hours are monthly virtual meetings open to the general public and anyone interested in food access. During office hours, community members and organizations can connect with State agencies, receive updates on food access programs, and share resources.

If you have any questions or would like to receive a standing calendar invite as a reminder, please contact Sarah Blau, RIDOH State Nutrition Coordinator, at sarah.blau@health.ri.gov.

Registration is not required. Drop in to Food Access Office Hours by selecting this link and joining the Zoom meeting.

Nonprofits that belong to collaborative working groups, such as associations or coalitions, advocate at higher rates than nonprofits that do not, research shows.

Whether you’re seeking to strengthen your advocacy efforts by mobilizing a diverse group of stakeholders around a particular issue or by inviting new perspectives to your coalition, joining collaborative groups is one of the most efficient and effective ways to advance your organization’s cause.

Independent Sector has a new interactive tool designed for coalition building and advocacy engagement.

The Nonprofit Coalition Connection is a nonpartisan resource that is designed to support advocacy engagement for charitable nonprofits, foundations, philanthropy-serving organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, and others belonging to collaborative working groups such as associations or coalitions.

Use the resource to search for and connect with other coalition leaders.

If you have any questions, reach out to publicpolicy@independentsector.org with any questions. If you’d like to add your coalition, please complete this form.

Newport nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and businesses provide a wide variety of services free of charge to individuals of all ages. RENEWport invites you to search and to review the calendar to find needed resources and accessible for you, your family, or a neighbor.

Search

Join Justice Assistance in partnership with the RI Public Defender’s Office to receive a free case audit.

Eligible cases will be removed from your record.

Registrants must be eligible for or receive some form of benefit in order to qualify for service; such as:

TANF SNAP Social Security Disability Insurance Or Other Public Assistance

Important: This service is by appointment only. You will be called the week of the clinic to confirm the appointment.

Register

If your contact information changes or you have any questions, please email Marcela, our Court-Based Program Manager, at MLopera@justiceassistance.org.

Disability and Healing Justice episode:

"I think for disabled communities or in particular communities fighting for survival, fighting to live with dignity in this particular moment while systems are being torn down around us and an absolute disregard of the dignity of care that we want to provide for communities that are most out on the margins.” — Cara Page

Host Justice Shorter welcomes Cara Page and Erica Woodland, co-editors of, Healing Justice Lineages: Dreaming at the Crossroads of Liberation, Collective Care & Safety.

This conversation explores the principles of healing justice and its connections to disability justice, highlighting the importance of collective care and the need to challenge individualistic and curative models of care that perpetuate harm and oppression. The speakers discuss how care practices observed by communities of color have been criminalized, and they provide examples of how funders can intervene to support collective trauma transformation.

Disability Inclusion: Required is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes release every two months.

Learn more

New Special Edition Episode of I Was Told There Would Be Snacks: A Nonprofit Podcast

In these special episodes of I Was Told There Would Be Snacks: A Nonprofit Podcast, we’re turning our focus to nonprofit board members to help them, too!

We’ve teamed up with our friends at National Council of Nonprofits for a special new series. We’re getting serious about the ‘new abnormal’ and serving up some practical wisdom to help your board navigate these wild times—because let’s be honest, your board members deserve more than just another binder full of meeting minutes.

Episode 3: Cultivating Courage - Overcoming Risk Aversion

In a world full of "what-ifs" and "let's play it safe," we're here to tell you that sometimes, playing it safe is the riskiest move of all. This year, don't let risk aversion hold your organization back from seizing opportunities that could lead to growth and greater impact. We're tackling this common challenge head-on by offering practical advice to help you encourage courageous decision-making for your organization's long-term health. Joining us are Anne Hindery of Nonprofit Association of the Midlands, Diane Yentel of National Council of Nonprofits, and Ivan Canada of North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. They'll share how to push past the fear and embrace bold choices that will propel your mission forward—without jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.

Listen

From Providence Eye--

Data from the Prison Policy Initiative reveals that of Rhode Island’s 39 municipalities, Providence has the highest rate of imprisonment. This statistic can be attributed to the city having larger Black and Latino populations and the criminal justice system disproportionately policing these communities.

Neighborhoods like Upper South Providence that are a majority of people of color were ‘redlined’ in the 1930s—or, in other words, denied financial services—and are overrepresented in the incarcerated population. The correlation between racial discrimination, systemic inequalities, and imprisonment in America are complex and persistent, including here in Providence.

Read More

Casual museum-goers are younger and more diverse than frequent museum visitors, according to the 2025 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers.

From the Wallace Foundation:

Extensive research has shown that summer provides young people with a range of support including mentoring, engaging activities, nutritious meals, and more. And quality summer learning programs continue to emerge as a key strategy to support students academically, whether to recover lost learning, stay on track throughout the summer, or to get ahead.

A new Wallace-funded publication from RAND and two of the nation’s leading researchers on summer learning, How to Provide Quality Opportunities for Young People in the Summer Months, synthesizes the existing body of research documenting how summer learning programs are designed and implemented.

It provides an overview of the importance of summer learning, highlighting: the variety of programming that exists; how summer programs benefit students; what characteristics make programs most effective; and how programs can be scaled and sustained.

And what does the research tell us about summer learning?

Authors found that:

• All children and youth can benefit from participating in summer programs to learn, make new friends, develop a new hobby, exercise, eat well, and receive mentoring from trusted adults.
• Many types of summer programs can be effective in promoting positive outcomes and developing skills and interests, including academic programs, employment programs, and programs addressing specific health, behavioral, or learning needs.
• High-quality programs require advance planning and attention to program content, duration, staff expertise, and youth attendance. Authors also outline a set of recommendations for districts, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and funders on how to strengthen summer learning programming across the country.

Learn more here.

From Urban Institute --

America’s housing and insurance markets faces a “perfect storm” of affordability challenges, climate risks, and supply shortages that threatens to displace millions of families, undermine economic stability, and push homeownership out of reach.

Why This Matters

This brief provides a case study of one housing market that many markets across the country can examine. The pressures on households, real estate and insurance markets, and state and local governments are playing out in cities, rural areas, and suburbs across America. Harris County, Texas, is a warning sign of what is to come and what risks we need to grapple with.

This crisis affects first-time homebuyers, working families, and seniors on fixed incomes, while creating ripple effects throughout the economy. Policymakers at all levels need actionable data to address supply constraints, implement affordability programs, and prepare communities for climate-related housing displacement. Critical policy areas at the intersection of insurance and housing finance markets require immediate attention, as solutions will demand regulatory and data coordination, innovative policies and risk management practices, and funding solutions that support households’ ability to access affordable insurance.

What We Found

The housing affordability crisis has reached historic proportions, with climate risks accelerating costs beyond what most Americans can afford.

Read More