It has been another exceptional year here at NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley! We’d like to take a minute to highlight some of the amazing work we’ve had the honor of being a part of in 2024. Keep reading for a snapshot of our most memorable moments of the past year!
#1: Free Home Repair Program Succeeds for a Sixth Year
2024 marked the sixth year NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley has partnered with Group Cares to offer the Free Home Repair Program to Woonsocket residents. Since the program launched in 2016, 217 homes have been repaired by 1700 volunteers, contributing over 34,000 hours of volunteer investment into the City. This past July, Group Mission Trips sent Christian volunteers over the week of the 15th to flood the City on a mission to repair 17 homes across Woonsocket. Senior citizens, veterans, disabled and lower-income Woonsocket homeowners received a week of no strings attached home repairs through our Woonsocket Free Home Repair Program–everything from exterior and interior painting up to 25ft. and wheel chair accessibility construction, to porch and step repair/replacement, and landscaping.
#2: AmeriCorps Served up Financial Empowerment in 2024–and more to come in 2025!
This year, the NWBRV AmeriCorps program had the honor of introducing our new Financial Capability AmeriCorps program! Working with our very busy HomeOwnership Center, two members will support the team with group and one-on-one financial capability coaching, in an effort to support the overall financial well being of low to moderate income individuals in Northern Rhode Island. Participants of this personalized program can expect their experience to cover all aspects of the financial wellness.
#3: Seniors Thrived at the Meadows Under New RSC Lucy Goulet
Our seniors residing at The Meadows, an independent living community located in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, are consistently provided with engagement opportunities. And 2024 has not only brought excitement and celebration to the Senior Living development–we’ve also been thrilled to welcome new Meadows Resident Service Coordinator Lucy Goulet to our thriving community! Lucy’s arrival has brought endless opportunities for our seniors, who we work tirelessly to keep mentally healthy and socially connected. In 2024, opportunities have included an ice cream demonstration, weekly guided meditation, regular reiki classes and milestone birthday celebrations!
#4: Greenridge Youth Program Opportunities Plentiful
Greenridge Commons, which was completed in 2017 and consists of 96 one, two and three bedroom apartments and townhouses in Pascoag village, was proud to offer a youth program in 2024–with more to come in 2025! Offered to youth ages 7-18 living in the Greenridge Commons, the after school program was open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3:30-5:30pm, offering participating youth snacks and thorough school and homework assistance. Activities consisted of everything from art and games, to cooking and computer literacy. Opportunities to participate in outdoor sports, recreational activities, watch movies and celebrate upcoming holidays were also offered. Stay tuned for more to come from Greenridge in 2025!
#5: Ivy Place Became a Place to Call Home
When the call for applicants opened in May 2024 we received an overwhelming response: 383 applications for just 13 homes at Ivy Place, our mixed-use affordable housing development located at Ivy Street and Taunton Avenue in East Providence. East Providence Major Bob DaSilva led the lottery event in October 2024, choosing winners to call the units home in the New Year! We look forward to supporting these families through the next steps in the home buying process. East Providence hopes to welcome home our lottery winners home early in the new year!
#6: YES on 3: Rhode Islanders Resoundingly Said ‘Yes’ to Affordable Housing in 2024 Election
Rhode Island residents choosing to vote YES on Question 3 in 2024, was instrumental in propelling forward our mission to create affordable housing opportunities in our state. The $120 million investment will be split multiple ways, with $80 million going towards lowering the cost of building new homes and $10 million being allocated to buy and repair old buildings, turning them into homes for Rhode Islanders. $20 million will provide housing assistance for Rhode Islanders wanting to buy their first home and $5 million will support organizations that help Rhode Islanders without homes by buying land to create housing with necessary services. Thank you to everyone who came out and voted in 2024!
#7: Peak Millrace Rental Opportunities
Since opening in 2017, over 50 food businesses have worked out of the Millrace Kitchen located at 40 South Main Street, an incubator space designed to support food business startups. 2024 at Millrace boasted 25 active chefs, top of the line culinary and AV equipment and 1700 square feet of available commercial kitchen. Our space is equipped with a baking area with mixers and a dough sheeter, a short order line with ranges, charbroiler, and a griddle, a production line with a kettle, braising pan, steamer, and combi oven, dry and cold storage, cleaning stations and Blast Chiller. The Millrace Event Space is perfect for workshops, corporate meetings, parties, and celebrations of up to 125 guests. Our lower level Café Space is excellent for smaller cozy gatherings, presentations, and meetings. Complete with a wood-fired bread and pizza oven that can be rented for private parties and team building activities. Millrace also provides tables, chairs, linens, sound, and AV equipment. This space was an ideal choice for your rental needs in 2024–and will continue to be a go-to option for Northern Rhode Islanders in 2025!
#8: SASH in 2024
SASH–which stands for Support and Service at Home--is a completely free NeighborWorks program that was readily available this past year to any NWBRV resident over the age of 57 and residents of any age with a disability–and will continue in the New Year. The program offers regular check-ins, support from the SASH Coordinator, care from the SASH Wellness Nurse and help with home transitions from a hospital or rehabilitation stay. Whether our residents needed regular assistance, or a hand during a time of need or crisis, SASH was there. With an overarching goal for people to feel comfortable in their homes, SASH kept our residents from feeling bored or alone.
#9: eHome America and NWBRV Prepared First Time Homeowners in 2024
A major component of the homebuying process here at NWBRV, is our eHome America program, which provides crucial homebuyer education within our
HomeOwnership Center (HOC). Acting as the Nation’s premiere online homebuyer education provider, eHome offers online homebuyer education ensures first time homeowners have the knowledge and confidence they need to enter the homebuyer process. Beneficial for a multitude of reasons, this convenient educational option is also a necessary requirement of certain loan products, making it a crucial component of the homebuyer experience. In 2024, the eHome course curriculum took buyers slowly through the steps of the home buying process. From preparing for the expenses of homeownership, and increasing awareness on the financial management of homeownership, to eventually post purchase tips, the buying process was clearly and coherently laid out for prospective buyers throughout the duration of the course. We look forward to the coming year, as our HomeOwnership Center (HOC) team continues to provide Northern Rhode Islanders with an all encompassing, one-stop-shop for financial literacy, homeownership education, and coaching.
#10: Levitt AMP Woonsocket
And last, but most definitely not least, we’d like to highlight the impact that music has on our city. Our 7th annual Levitt AMP Woonsocket Music Series, which was named the Best FREE Outdoor Concert Series in Rhode Island by Rhode Island Monthly in 2022, once again set records in 2024. With 10 concerts occurring from June 14 through August 23, the summertime Series was attended by a staggering total of 3726 guests throughout the course of the summer. Our July 12th performance, featuring Steve Smith & the Naked Truth, set a record of 771 attendees! Levitt AMP Woonsocket, based out of River Island Art Park in Woonsocket, delivered acts ranging in musical genres, from Pop and Reggae to Americana and Zydeco. With our series deeply impacting Woonsocket residents, we were so proud to have been able to bring multiple free, live music opportunities to Woonsocket in 2024. While the season culminated in a celebration at Millrace honoring all of the amazing supporters of Levitt AMP Woonsocket, we also had the pleasure this fall of touching base with a couple of Levitt AMP Woonsocket’s biggest fans. There’s truly nothing like hearing up close and personal what Levitt means to its attendees. We would like to thank everyone who helped make these opportunities for our wonderful Woonsocket residents possible!
We can’t wait to see the good work that’s sure to come in 2025! Happy New Year to all of our area partners, community members, friends and families!
