By Stan Kapelewski
This Month’s Rainbow Award proudly goes to all the staff, parents and students from the St. Peter School in Warwick, R.I. for donating food to the Emmanuel House Shelter. The Diocese of Providence recently opened The Emmanuel House homeless shelter.
Since its opening in early December, the shelter has been overflowing. The Emmanuel House has been featured in the news as they add beds. They have asked members of the community to donate items for its everyday operations. The facility was established as a “sleep shelter only”, with no food provided. But with the dangerously cold weather they have been open around the clock as a safe haven for homeless families and individuals. Continue reading ‘An Act of Kindness for Those in Need’
Congratulations to Mike Santiano owner of “Downtown Dogs” in Kennedy Plaza’s Burnside Park for receiving the Street Sights November Rainbow Award. He has been in business with his hot dog stand for two years now, and has helped several people with his caring and understanding towards those that are experiencing difficulties with their life. Santiano had taken a person that was homeless, and in dire need of clothing to Wal-mart, and paid out of his own pocket to get the person’s basic needs. Continue reading ‘Kindness at Kennedy Plaza’
By David Eisenberger and Stan Kapelewski
September’s Rainbow Award proudly goes to the Recovery All Star’s Band. They voluntarily play in many places in Rhode Island, including coffee houses, and perform at the Public Square Day at Burnside Park every 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:30am – 1:30pm.
Over the years 100 members have performed for this band. Also they’re the cover band for a sit-com that’s on Channel 10, after Saturday Night live, called “Rhode Bytes,” and spearheaded by Doreen Collins, who used to team with Charlie Hall, years ago and she’s also associated with Channel 10. Continue reading ‘Music From the Heart’
By David Eisenberger
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) was founded in 2005 by a corps of dedicated volunteers from a local Trout Unlimited and Federation of Fly Fishers chapters.
PHWFF is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty personnel and vets through fly-fishing and fly-tying education and outings. Continue reading ‘Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Wins Rainbow Award’
By William K. Harter
This month’s award goes to a dedicated family who believes in helping people.
Wesley and Frances Gardner have lived in Warwick for about 30 years. They moved to Warwick to be closer to their church, the Buttonwoods Chapel. They taught Sunday School there all that time. They are known as team workers, Wes & Fran. Continue reading ‘Gardner family gives thirty years of service’
By David Eisenberger and Jenny DiTomasso
Congratulations to Shirley Flores, of Praise Tabernacle Church, who serves others by giving makeovers at the church. She also works for a program called Reaching Higher, which offers employment assistance, including help with resumes and job leads, and training in life and recovery skills. Reaching Higher runs from 9 to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. Anyone who needs assistance can turn to the church’s in-house counseling. Flores also serves as a certified interpreter for Massachusetts. Continue reading ‘Former Addict Reaches Higher’
By Stan Kapelewski
This month Street Sights is proud to give the Rainbow Award to three very special people. For over a year Maria, Todd, and Heather have been donating their time and services by volunteering at the Mathewson Street Church for the P.I.C.A. meal site’s Friday night dinner and at the St. John’s City Meal Site on Tuesday nights.
These three volunteers do their best to help wherever they can. Heather always seems to put a smile on people’s faces while working very hard at refilling everyone’s beverages when they need it. Congratulations for a job well done.
By Jenny DiTomasso and David Eisenberger
Three years ago, Joanna Sarafian started The Midnight Hour. After 15 years of a difficult life, in which she had to give up the rights to her four children, Sarafian devoted her life to her Christian faith. She was determined to return to the streets in the midnight hour to search for people whose shoes she walked in before.
Today, her four children are back in her life, and some of them work with her. Today many young girls are turning their life around, following Sarafian’s example. Continue reading ‘Friends at Midnight’
By Stan Kapelewski
Congratulations to Lisa Ciccone, outreach coordinator at the Riverwood Mental Health Clinic and this month’s recipient of the Street Sights Rainbow Award.
The clinic, within St. Joseph’s Hospital, has been functioning for four years. In the one and a half years since Ciccone joined the staff she has earned the trust and respect of all the people she deals with. Continue reading ‘Clinic Worker Hits the Street to Find People in Need of Help’
Sister Joan Rekicki is an outreach worker at McAuley House, a house of hospitality in Providence’s South Side. Sister Joan has been involved in McAuley House since its inception in 1975, first as a volunteer and then as an outreach worker. For this month’s Rainbow Award we present an acrostic poem by Marilyn Love, who nominated Sister Joan. Love calls Sister Joan her “Mother.” Continue reading ‘A Sister Who Is Also a Mother’
By Stan Kapelewski
This month, Street Sights is proud to give its Rainbow Award to William W. Price Jr., a peer specialist and counselor at Oasis. He goes out of his way to listen to peoples’ problems, and gives them rides, haircuts, and a variety of other things.
When I asked him “What do you like best about helping people?” he responded, “The best job that you can have is helping your fellow human beings. I enjoy being the liaison for people that sometime cannot help themselves. I want to give back some of the opportunities that I had to others who are less fortunate.” Continue reading ‘Price Evolves from Art Student to Counselor’
By Stan Kapelewski
Judy Galmer, a South Carolina native, has been the dedicated Fresh Start Program coordinator for the last five years, during her 12 years vested in the Urban League of Rhode Island. Her caring and empathetic approach to weekly case management, housing needs, and servicing close to 700 clients a year at the Urban League of Rhode Island and the Department of Corrections has made her more than a prized employee but a vital member of the community based re-integration process.
Galmer’s charismatic and supportive nature has allowed her to effectively minister to the public as an evangelist through the Christ Church of Deliverance and throughout New England and other states. She contributes her valued time to charitable organizations, ranging from feeding the homeless, to clothing those in need. Continue reading ‘Helping People Get a Fresh Start in Life’
