Current News, Announcements & Events

March

Sponsors needed for the First Annual Children and the Arts Festival on May 14. 10am-4pm at URI Kingston

South County Community Action Agency, the Washington County Coalition for Children and the West Bay Family Care Community Partnership
are staging this event during Mental Health Month.

Bring the community together for a free family fun event! There will be theater, music, dance, and many other scheduled and interactive activities for children of all ages. We are excited to tell you that Bill Harley, Grammy Award winning storyteller and singer will be the highlight performer! 
 http://www.richildrensartfestival.org, http://www.sccainc.org Sean 789-3016 x315.
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Don't forget the RSVP Annual Family Pasta Dinner and Raffle!! Thurs, April 28, 2011. 5:30 pm- 7:30 pm $10 Adults, $8 seniors, $5 kids 5-12
Children under 5 are free. Knights of Columbus Hall, 475 Sandy Lane, Warwick, Rhode Island. Entertainment. For more info Sue at 732-4666 x154 or Fran at 732-4666 x152.

Check out photos on Picasa of last year's dinner.
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Volunteers needed at Westbay Community Garden & Westbay Children's Center!
 

Receptionist at Westbay Children’s Center
Monday – Friday
1-5 pm (most important hours that they need a volunteer are from 3-5 pm)
Duties would include: answering phones, reception of people coming to the Center, filing, light office work.
Computer skills would be great but are not necessary. Must undergo a background check.

Fran (401)732-4666 x 152 or Fthuotte@westbaycap.org
Sue (401)732-4666 x 154 or slewis@westbaycap.org
 

Westbay is really going green this St Paddy's Day: The Community Garden opens Thursday, March 17! 
Farmer Steve Stycos is looking for volunteers to help prepare the gardens for the new growing season.

Our likely work list includes,

picking up winter trash
examining our row covers to see which can be used this season
picking rocks
breaking new ground for additional beds
planting peas

We will be at the farm from 10-2, if you would like to join us. I know many people work during the week, but maybe some of you are free. Let me know if you will be coming.

If you want to come, please remember there are no bathrooms. Also bring something to drink because there is no running water yet.We have a new volunteer book this year. Please remember to sign in, so we can report your help to people who give us grants.

Farmer Steve has tomato hoops to give away. If you would like some, let him know.

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March 7: CEO Jeanne Gattegno and other Community Action leaders will be visiting with Congressional members this week to discuss the impact severe budget cuts will have on vulnerable communities and the agencies that assist them.

One big challenge non-profits have that even our supporters may not be aware of, is finding money to pay staff to run the programs and to hire necessary administrative staff and related positions required to operate the agency (i.e. accounting, maintanance, fundraising). It's impossible to rely on volunteers to perform these functions. Program funds either set aside very small amounts for admin or none at all. As a result, many admin staff are hired part-time without benefits to fill these roles.

February

Plastic bags, plastic & cardboard berry/cherry tomato containers are needed. Please donate to the Marketplace. Reuse/Recycle!
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Congratulations to Childrens' Center director, Maryann Finamore, and her staff for receiving a 4-star rating from Bright Stars!

BrightStars helps child care providers in Rhode Island learn about best practices in early learning and apply them to the care children receive. The program benefits children, families, and child care programs by emphasizing the importance of quality and by giving parents information to make choices about their children�s care.

A BrightStars quality rating provides accurate, reliable information about program quality to families and the community. Child care and early learning programs participating in BrightStars use the BrightStars rating system to guide improvement
and access quality improvement tools and resources.

This is a voluntary program with an involved process and rigid scoring, but Maryann says it was well worth the effort and the Children's Center increased its rating from a 3-star to a 4-star rating, five-star being the highest.
Maryann and her teachers are determined to get that five-star distinction!

For more information about The Westbay Children's Center, visit http://westbaycap.org/childrenscenterover.asp.
For more information about Bright Stars visit http://www.brightstars.org
 

Westbay CEO & President Jeanne Gattegno posted her CEO Quarterly Report for Q4 and has made additional comments about LiHEAP on the website's Expressions page.

Today is Groundhog Day! Little furry Phil has predicted spring is not far away-either that or he didn't have the heart to say anything different! He didn't give any comment on the possibility snowbanks will still be melting by Memorial Day.....

Photo: pbs1026 www.fotosearch.com

WEATHER NOTICE
Wed., Feb. 2: Westbay administration, marketplace & offices will open at 10:00 a.m.

Plastic bags, plastic & cardboard berry/cherry tomato containers are needed. Please donate to the Marketplace. Reuse/Recycle!

RSVP Annual Family Pasta Dinner and Raffle. Thurs, April 28, 2011. 5:30 pm � 7:30 pm $10 Adults, $8 seniors, $5 kids 5-12
Children under 5 are free. Knights of Columbus Hall, 475 Sandy Lane, Warwick, Rhode Island. Entertainment. For more info Sue at 732-4666 x154 or Fran at 732-4666 x152.

Check out photos on Picasa of last year's dinner.

WEATHER NOTICE!  Thursday January 27, 2011

Westbay Children's Center will open one hour later than usual.

All Westbay Community Action offices and services will open at 10:00 a.m.
 

Hooray! No need to delete and recreate Westbay's Facebook page. It's still there, so please keep visiting!
 

No Name-Calling Week January 24-28 is an annual week of educational activaimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities. http://www.nonamecallingweek.org
 

Wednesday, January 12

Westbay Community Action offices & Westbay Children's Center are CLOSED due to  weather.

Project Homeless Connect, in conjunction with the Point-in-Time Count, will be hosting 4 events the morning of Friday, January 28th from 7am until 11am in the following cities: Woonsocket, Providence, Pawtucket and Westerly.

This event will provide those experiencing homelessness with services and will allow us to count the unsheltered homeless. Please post the attached flyer anywhere homeless people congregate. Also please forward to whomever you think would benefit from knowing about these event.

In addition, there is also a Help Notice attached for volunteers and donations. If you/your agency can help in anyway please let me know.

Please contact

Melissa Husband
Supportive Housing Program Coordinator
mhusband@rhodeislandhousing.org
P: 401-457-1113
F: 401-457-1140

Rhode Island Housing
44 Washington Street
Providence, RI 02903

Thank you!
 

December
All Westbay offices and services are closing early Thursday Dec. 30 at 12:00. Westbay Children's Center will close at 1:00. Both are closed Friday Dec. 31.

Marketplace hours week of December 27:
Tuesday: 9:30am to 3:00pm
Wednesday: 9:30am to 3:00pm
Thursday: 9:30am to 12:30pm
Friday: closed

Once again Hasbro donated toys for our annual toy drive before Christmas. Photos are loaded onto Google's Picasa database.
 

Here are the winners of the Westbay Adult Academy raffle! Congratulations!

1st Leah from Tyngsboro, MA
2nd Robert from Warwick, RI
3rd Rich from East Greenwich, RI
4th Theresa from Seekonk, MA
5th Jeanne from West Warwick, RI
6th Diana from Coventry, RI
7th Michelle from Barrington, RI
 

77 households had a merrier Christmas thanks to our sponsors of Adopt-a-Family! See Shoutouts page of website for sponsor list.
 

Westbay provided 250 Families with either Christmas Food Baskets or gift cards and side dishes with help from our friends at Rotary Club of Warwick and Greenwood Church! 

Check out photo.
http://warwickonline.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=33324292&event=1140531&CategoryID=359
 

Westbay's senior volunteer program RSVP is collecting empty inkjet cartridges & cellphones for recycling and to earn extra dollars! Please give us yours by dropping them off at 218 Buttonwoods Avenue. For more information visit http://www.planetgreenrecycle.com/westbaycap
 

The food pantry manager is requesting donations of $10 grocery store gift cards.

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas the Westbay Marketplace provides food baskets for a holiday dinner. Rotary Club of Warwick donates turkeys, we supply emergency food items, grocery stores often donate additional items and we receive grocery store gift cards. This year, it's beginning to look like more demand than supply.

New York has Radio City & the Rockettes and Warwick has its very own Warwick Symphony Orchestra (WSO) and West Bay Chorale! Both organizations have holiday concerts planned, so support your local performers and get into the holiday spirit! Visit http://wsori.org/current_winter10.html and http://www.westbaychorale.org/
 

Struggling to pay mortgage? Hardest Hit Fund-RI may be able to help. Contact: 277-1500; info@hhfri.org; www.hhfri.org   

2010 Fundraiser for Westbay Heating Program
  Christmas Lights & Holiday Music

Friday, November 26th thru Friday, December 31st
5:30pm to 9:00pm Sunday thru Thursday
5:30pm to 10:00pm Friday and Saturday
(times are approximate and weather permitting)

Where: 12 Shenandoah Road Warwick , RI 02886
(One mile south of Apponaug 4 Corners) 

Place donations in the secure mailbox

www.lewischristmas.com 
 

November
Westbay Adult Education Academy is having a fabulous fundraising raffle with prizes just in time for holiday gift giving! See below-new prizes keep coming in.
 

                                 The City of Warwick is pleased to announce
                                   FREE flu vaccinations (injection or mist)

Available to any adult (age 19 and older)
Call Pat Seltzer RN at 468-4077 to schedule an appointment
 

If you use space heaters, please be careful! It took longer than usual, but the cold weather is here. Be careful how you warm up. According to americanprofile.com 25,000 residential fires are associated with space heaters.
1. Look for the UL label
2. Follow instructions
3. Place heater on floor, but away from children & pets
4.Do not use power strips or extension cords
5. Keep combustibles (curtains, bed linens, upholstered furniture, etc) 3 feet AWAY from heater.
6. Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed.
7. Only use fuel-burning heaters in emergencies and with extreme caution.

For the full article visit www.americanprofile.com/article/42743.html

For more fire safety tips, visit www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/focus/prevent_home_fires.shtm

Westbay Adult Education Academy is having a fabulous fundraising raffle with prizes just in time for holiday gift giving!
 
� Tickets are $10 each or $25 for three
� Winning tickets will be drawn on December 16, 2010 at Buttonwoods Community Center from 3:30-5 PM (3027 W. Shore Road, Warwick, RI)
� Winners do not need to be present at the drawing, but everyone is invited to the reception at the Academy
� Contact Melanie for more information or to sell tickets 732-4666 ext. 120 or 468-4064

First Prize: 12 $100 Restaurant Gift Certificates
� Sergio�s Italian Ristorante Saunderstown, RI Capital Grille Providence, RI � Old Canteen Providence, RI � Parkside Providence, RI� Spain Narragansett, RI� Post Office Caf� East Greenwich, RI� Legal Seafood Warwick, RI � Remington House Warwick, RI� Chianti�s Warwick, RI � L� Atttitudes Cranston, RI

Second Prize: Ray Allen autographed Basketball from the Boston Celtics (with letter of authenticity) in 2008 valued at $300

Third Prize: 2 Tickets to Providence Performing Arts Center�s
IN THE HEIGHTS A 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical January 12, 2010 at 7:30 PM & a $30 gift certificate to Pastiche in Providence, RI

Fourth Prize: 6 tickets to Providence Bruins
(game of your choice excluding Calder Cup Playoffs)

Fifth Prize: $50 Gift Certificate to McCormick & Schmidt Providence, RI

Sixth Prize: $50 Gift Certificate to Ironworks Tavern Warwick, RI

Seventh Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Haruki Cranston, RI
 

Adopt a Family is accepting names of households to be adopted for the holidays. Please call Rhonda at 732-4660x0.

October
Low income heating assistance (LiHEAP) has new 2011 income requirements. The program will open October 25. Please see website for details.

Last few Saturdays left for farm stand. Please see website/facebook/twitter for more info.

Marketplace has new hours-please see website.

Pantry Express will be closing and only available July-October 2011. See website for details.

STORM PRECAUTION!

For people who use life-sustaining medical equipment or take life-sustaining medications, a power outage is a significant problem.

The predicted high winds and rains could cause a power outage.

The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) and the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) urge anyone with a disability, chronic condition, or special healthcare need(s) to enroll in the Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Registry.

This registry was created so that there is a reliable system for the identification of Rhode Islanders who require special assistance during emergencies.

Registration only takes a few minutes and can be done online, by mailing a completed registry form to RIEMA, or by phone. To register online or to download a registry form, visit www.health.ri.gov/emregistry. To register by phone, call 222-4616/RI Relay 711. The registration form is available in multiple languages and alternate formats. Information submitted to the registry will be shared with local and state emergency management and responders such as local town/city police or fire.

Family members or caregivers can submit information to the registry on behalf of someone else who is not able to do so independently. If there is more than one person in a household who has a disability, chronic condition or special healthcare need(s), each person should complete a separate registry form.

Upon enrollment in the registry, HEALTH will send a GO-KIT to the individual. This kit contains additional information to help people prepare for an emergency.

The Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Registry is a joint effort of the RIEMA and HEALTH. For regularly updated information on hurricane preparations, visit www.riema.ri.gov
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September Events
Saturday 9/18 Westbay Yard Sale, Westbay Marketplace,8a.m.-2p.m.
           **Accepting donations Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 at Marketplace**

Annual International Coastal Cleanup
Saturday 9/25, Warwick City Park, 9am-12noon

Join RSVP Saturday, September 25 from 9-noon at Warwick City Park.
Westbay's RSVP team will meet at City Park in Warwick, September 25th at 8:45am. To sign up or obtain info, please call RSVP at Westbay Community Action, 732-4666
x152.

August Update
Free! Celebrate urban agriculture w/self-tour of six Cmty Gardens 3-5 & potluck 5-7. Sat. Aug. 28. Food&music. www.southsideclt.org.

If you or someone you know requires special assistance in a civil emergency, consider the Special Needs Emergency Registry.
www.health.ri.gov/emregistry
 

                                     
April 16

FEMA Disaster News
NEW SITE FOR DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER 
IN WESTERLY ON FRIDAY

The federal/state Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at the Westerly Town Hall is relocating on Friday. Its new location will be:

South County Community Action Agency � Open April 16
34 Pond St.   Westerly, R.I. 02891

Hours at the new location will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.

For more information click here:



April 10

As cleanup operations begin, it's crucial the cleanup is done correctly.  Please read this guide.

Creating A Healthy Home
A FIELD GUIDE FOR CLEAN-UP OF FLOODED HOMES

April 7                                   

NEWS
Office of the Governor
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Donations Sought for Flood Recovery Efforts
Central Website Offers Opportunities to Donate or Volunteer

"The public are urged to go to www.floodrecovery.ri.gov
 and follow the �Donate/Volunteer� link for specific donation information."
 

April 2

Westbay Community Action Requests Donations for Flood Relief
Second phase of disaster relief moves into recovery assistance
                    Non-perishable foods, toiletries and gift cards sought

For the release, visit the media room www.westbaycap.org/news_media.asp
 

March 23

Westbay Community Action Named a �Local Hero� by Edible Rhody Magazine
2010 Reader�s Choice Local Hero Award as Non-Profit Organization
For the release, visit the media room www.westbaycap.org/news_media.asp
For more information about the farm, visit the farm webpagewww.westbaycap.org/farmstand.asp.
 

March 2

Westbay Community Action Receives Department of Corrections Award
�Friend of the Corrections Department Award� Given to Probation Program Initiative
For the release, visit the media room.
For more information about the program, visit the Probation Program webpage.

 

Feb. 26

Westbay Community Action Has Established the Trafalgar East Fire Fund
Relief Efforts Include Food & Clothing Drive

Monetary Donations 
Please make checks out to: Westbay Community Action.
In the memo section indicate: Trafalgar East Fire Fund.

Mail checks
Westbay Community Action Fire Fund
224 Buttonwoods Avenue
Warwick, RI 02886

Food Donations Drop off Center (Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30) Westbay Marketplace
211 Buttonwoods Avenue
Warwick, RI 02886
we are no longer accepting clothes

Feb. Feb.16

Congressman Langevin's Press Conference at Westbay  
joined by Mayors Avedisian, Cicilline, Fung, Polisena to mark one year of Stimulus money

Jeanne Gattegno, executive director of Westbay Community Action also spoke about Westbay's adult education program and introduced Director Melanie LaMountain and GED graduates Stephen Westgate and Ian McQuesten.

The Buttonwoods Community Center is home to the Westbay Adult Education Academy. The academy, which is administered by Westbay Community Action Program, received $230,000 in Recovery Act funding. This infusion of funding created four full-time jobs and allowed the program to expand to better meet the community�s demand for GED classes, work readiness and college prep assistance.

See Westbay in the News page for coverage links.
   
More photos on Adult Ed webpage

The Congressman & Mayors listen to Jeanne's presentation

Feb. 1 
Westbay Hires Steve Stycos to Manage Community Garden for 2010

Westbay Community Action enters 5th season growing food for low income residents

� Steve Stycos worked previously at Zephyr Farm and has 18 years of experience organizing community activities, including Pawtuxet Village Farmers� Market
� Westbay Community Action�s garden provides fresh produce for 3,000 Kent County households

For the release, visit the media room.
For more information about the farm, visit the farm webpage.

Current Events


8/28 FREE Providence cmty garden tours 3-5 & pot luck 5-7.www.southsideclt.org.
 

9/18 Westbay Yard Sale
 

9/25, Warwick City Park
3rd Annual International Coastal Cleanup

Join RSVP Saturday, September 25 from 9-noon at Warwick City Park.

Westbay's RSVP team will meet at City Park in Warwick, September 25th at 8:45am.

To sign up or obtain info, please call RSVP at Westbay Community Action, 732-4666
x152.
 

March 25
Second Annual Pasta Dinner Night
March 25, 5:30-7:30

Who doesn't enjoy a big Italian dinner, shared with family and friends?
Sharing a meal is a simple, yet important way for families, generations, and communities to stay connected. It's also a wonderful way to help us raise much needed funds to continue serving our neighbors in crisis.

Join us for a fun night of conversation over salad, pasta with meatballs, rolls, beverage and dessert - sprinkled with a surprise or two for the kids!

$10.00 adults, $8.00 seniors, children 5-12 $5.00. Children younger than 5 dine free.

Thursday, March 25, 2010
5:30-7:30
Knights of Columbus Hall
Corner of Sandy Lane and Warwick Avenue
Warwick, RI 02889

Dinner the way it was meant to be.

Jan. 29
Rhode Island Housing Network
First Time House Buyer's Course
Free six week course begins Wednesday, Feb. 17 
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Course will review credit reports, types of mortgages/financing, closing costs and other topics.


Registration Required
401-521-1461

When
February 17 and 24
March 3, 10, 17, 24

Where
224 Buttonwoods Avenue
Warwick, RI 02889
 

Starting January 25, 2010
Free Tax Preparation for Taxpayers Who Qualify


The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)
& Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs

Call for Appointment: 732-4666, select 5 RSVP, x 121

PAST NEWS & EVENTS

December 21 & 22
Rotary International Donations

Warwick Rotary made it possible for 100 families to enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner by donating 100 turkeys, while Westbay provided the trimmings, and East Greenwich Rotary donated boxes of oranges and grapefruits.

December 21, 2009
John Hancock 2nd Annual Cookie Contest
Raises $3,012 for Westbay!