Tides
Serving the Poorest of the Poor
Tides Family Services serves the poorest of Rhode Island’s poor. Since our founding in 1983, we have chosen to locate in the places where our impact is greatest. These are the neighborhoods of Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, West Warwick and Woonsocket… the places where our clients and their families live.
Our Providence address is 790 Broad Street on the city’s South Side, the site of the former Donnelly’s clothing store. It is an old building which bears witness to the ravages of time and past neglect. At the best of times, the structure needs continuous repair and maintenance, but after a series of winter storms in 2010 and 2011, melting ice and rain flooded large sections of the building causing major damage. We had no choice but to shutter the building.
From humble beginnings in the mid-1980s when we served 30 families in West Warwick, Tides serves, on average, 500 youth and families each day. Over 130 of them rely on our Providence-based services. With our building closed, we were desperate to initiate repairs. At a minimum, we knew we needed a new roof, but the architect told us we also needed to make major structural upgrades. Having no funds in reserve, we asked the Champlin Foundation for help. The Foundation’s funds not only allowed us to replace the roof and the heating/cooling system, but enabled us to repair flood damage throughout the building. As a result, we were “off line” and in temporary quarters for less than 18 months.
Since then, our Providence-based comprehensive services for troubled young people and their families have continued to grow. The state’s Juvenile Probation Service is co-located with us at 790 Broad Street. We offer programs through our fully COA-accredited Youth Transition Center, Preserving Families Network, Multi-systemic and Functional Family Therapy Programs, and our Youth Outreach Program. Thanks to Champlin, we now have a safe, secure and welcoming environment that directly benefits the most at-risk children, youth and families of our state’s capital city.
RI Community Food Bank
Everyone Deserves Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
The mission of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank is to improve the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders by advancing solutions to the problem of hunger. The Food Bank distributes food to individuals and families in need through a network of 160 partner agencies located throughout the state. Together, the Food Bank and these agencies serve nearly 60,000 people each month. Half of those served are among the most vulnerable – children and seniors.
The Champlin Foundation has supported the work of the Food Bank for many years, providing grants for critical capital projects. Thanks to the Foundation, the Food Bank maintains a fleet of six trucks. These trucks make the entire network more efficient, because the Food Bank can deliver to agencies, reducing the need for each agency to have its own vehicle. In addition, because the entire fleet is refrigerated, the Food Bank is now able to acquire and deliver significantly more fresh produce. Over 20 percent of the 10 million pounds distributed by the Food Bank each year is fresh fruits and vegetables. The generosity of the Foundation makes it possible for the Food Bank to meet one of its most important goals: providing healthy, nutritious food to our neighbors in need.
Crossroads
Hitting the Road to Tackle Homelessness
The mission of Crossroads Rhode Island is to help homeless or at-risk individuals and families secure stable homes. Those served achieve this by engaging in a range of services including housing, basic needs, shelter, case management, referrals and education and employment services.
The Crossroads Rhode Island Street Outreach Program provides services in the field to highly vulnerable people trying to survive outside without housing or shelter. The Street Outreach Program has been very successful in housing some of the most underserved and difficult to engage street homeless.
In 2016, Crossroads received a grant from The Champlin Foundation to purchase a new vehicle for the program. The Subaru Outback replaces a very old van that was unreliable, expensive to operate and unsuitable for the project. The new vehicle is equipped with a GPS system and other technology that was desperately needed. It is also a suitable vehicle for reaching people living in outdoor camps or tents.
Engaging homeless individuals through the Street Outreach Program is the first step in helping these citizens find housing, followed by supportive services in their homes. Thanks to the Champlin Foundation, we have an important new resource in this critical process.
In the past 2 years, Crossroads Outreach Program has helped 140 individuals; of these clients, 71% have moved off the streets to permanent housing or safer places.
Amos House
In 2014, Amos House was awarded a $750,000 grant from the Champlin Foundation to support the construction of a new facility to that included an expanded Soup Kitchen, as well as consolidated office and program space from five campus buildings. This new building, which combines all Amos House programs except for housing, offers 29,000 square feet of space for the Rhode Island community.
Increased space in the Soup Kitchen, designated meeting space for recovery based programs, and classroom settings that include both a Culinary Education classroom and a Carpentry/Maintenance Workshop, mean that Rhode Island neighbors who come to Amos House in need have access to a quality setting in which they can focus on rebuilding their lives.
Having drastically outgrown its former surroundings, a move to a larger facility was necessary and the Champlin Foundation funds made this possible. In 2015, the Champlin Foundation awarded this project $150,000 for new furnishings, equipment, and materials to outfit the new space. Amos House moved into the new facility in May 2016. In addition to offering expanded opportunities to guests, the move to this building also freed up space previously utilized for staff offices in two other buildings that will soon be converted to additional shelter and family housing.
Each year, Amos House serves over 15,000 individuals who are challenged with homelessness, poverty, unemployment, or addiction. Services range from emergency assistance and housing to job training and employment counseling.
Day One
Day One is grateful to The Champlin Foundations for supporting us over the years. As the demand for Day One services has increased, so has our staffing and building needs. This rapid expansion resulted in constraints on our operating systems as well as the budget necessary to keep pace with our technology needs. Your generous investment has supported our capital campaign and enabled our agency to upgrade our HVAC system, replace outdated software, hardware, phones and telephone systems. The upgrades made have since improved efficiencies throughout the organization and enabled Day One to better serve the thousands of women, men and children clients who rely on the clinical, advocacy and prevention education services we provide each year. These upgrades allow Day One to better respond to our clients’ needs and serve our wider community. We appreciate The Champlin Foundation’s continued support to allow us to focus on our true mission of reducing the prevalence of sexual abuse and violence as well as to support and advocate for those affected by it.
Tiverton Public Library
New Library Boosts Community Engagement
The Champlin Foundation provided major funding for the new Tiverton Public Library, a beloved institution that both embraces its storied past and strides boldly into the 21st century. The first year exceeded the wildest expectations in number of library users, books checked out, online usage and program participation. By any metric the new Tiverton Library has been the biggest thing to happen to the town in recent memory.
The exterior evokes a traditional New England ambience, while the interior is open and flexible, for daily changes, or total reconfiguration in the future. The building meets the highest levels of energy efficiency.
The impact on the community has been dramatic. People from all walks of life realize personal and career goals, and people of all ages develop a love of reading and learning. The use of most Library resources doubled, while computer use tripled. The programs enjoy robust attendance – Storytimes (baby, toddler, pre-school), Book Groups, Movie Nights, Speaker Presentations, Lego Days, “Drop-In and Play” Saturdays, Teen Anime & Magna Meet-Up, etc.
The Library is a hub for community growth, playing an ongoing role in its cultural, civic, social and economic life. It hosts such groups as the volunteer Town Commissions, school events like the District Art Show and after school creative arts sessions, probate and municipal courts, small businesses, unions, political groups, and employers interviewing job seekers.
The Library Staff, Trustees, Friends and Foundation join the community in thanking Champlin for making our vision a reality.
Ocean State Libraries
Making Every Rhode Island Public Library Collection a Click Away
Ocean State Libraries is a consortium of public libraries dedicated to serving the Rhode Island community by sharing materials, services, and electronic resources. Sit down at a computer station in any public library in Rhode Island and you are in for a high-quality computing experience due in no small part to generous technology grants awarded by the Champlin Foundation over the course of many years.
Champlin Foundation grants have helped Ocean State Libraries provide a robust online catalog that is used by Rhode Islanders to find and borrow free books and movies from every public library in the state. A few years ago, a Champlin Foundation grant helped us improve the eZone, our digital collection of eBooks and audiobooks that are freely available to all Rhode Island public library cardholders. When patrons asked for the ability to use a library card stored on their smartphone to borrow library materials, the Champlin Foundations made that possible by providing funds to purchase the barcode scanners that were needed to make it happen.
When technology has changed, the Champlin Foundation has made it possible for our public libraries to change with it. Their commitment to Ocean State Libraries has been unbounded and we owe them a debt of gratitude beyond measure.
Cranston Public Library
Supporting the Library of Tomorrow
Cranston Public Library has served the Cranston community for 49 years with a mission to “bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and strengthen the community.” Over this time, many of our ever-evolving goals and projects have been accomplished with the support of the Champlin Foundation.
The development of our C-Lab and the current renovation of our Children’s Room are just two examples of how the Champlin Foundation has enabled Cranston Public Library to serve our community in the face of changing times and needs.
In 2013, Champlin Foundation grant funds led to the development of Cranston Public Library’s C-Lab. This space transformed the way librarians help visitors learn about and access technology. Rolling tables, an updated projector and AV system, as well as 3D printers, vinyl-to-MP3 and VHS-to-DVD converters, and an assistive technology station make this space one of the most adaptable and innovative public technology learning locations around. Staff members provide at least four computer classes a month, as well as one-on-one appointments and tech drop-ins, all of which are available to the public, for free.
The Champlin Foundation is also making an impact by funding our current renovation project. For the first time in over 30 years, the Cranston Public Library Children’s Room is undergoing a transformation. Around the theme of “portals,” we’ve designed a playful space which draws inspiration from classic stories like Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Where the Wild Things Are, and A Wrinkle In Time. With a slated completion date of June 1, 2017, this new space will be wired for the future, while reserving space for the time-honored tradition of curling up with a good book.
Cranston Public Library has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with the Champlin Foundation and future generations will have the Foundation to thank for many of the comfortable, safe, and educational spaces at Cranston Public Library.
East Providence Public Library
Taking Learning to a New Level
The East Providence Public Library has benefitted from the Champlin Foundation’s generous support for many years. In recent years, the vision for East Providence’s first makerspace was found in a closed book-lending branch that has since re-opened as a place that answers the question of “What would you like to learn?” Thanks to The Champlin Foundation, patrons were provided with a plethora of hands-on learning experiences to answer that very question.
The Fuller Creative Learning Center opened its door to the public in June 2016 with a “How-To Festival” utilizing the Center’s teaching kitchen, 3D printer, laptops, and a recording studio.
Since its opening, over 2,500 patrons have visited and participated in the activities, workshops, and events for all ages. The classes taking place have ranged from sewing and quilting to coding for kids to cooking courses, music workshops and much more.
As a result of The Champlin Foundation’s generosity, East Providence Public Library is able to continuously support curious minds and makers alike.
Ashaway Free Library
In 2021 the Ashaway Free Library will celebrate 150 years of service to the community. The first permanent space was a one-room schoolhouse moved to the site in 1908, followed by an addition in the 1960s. With only 2200 square feet of space and a sizeable collection, there was little room for programming. The generous support of The Champlin Foundation inspired community support, and we now have a 700 square foot addition and a beautiful new accessible entrance. Space availability has unleashed programming creativity; our Spring 2019 Newsletter featured ten upcoming events!
Planning this addition was a considerable challenge. How to connect two older sections built more than half a century apart to a third? How to marry three different roof lines? How to respect the ambiance of the residential neighborhood? Upon completion of the project, the biggest and most frequent compliment is, “it looks like it’s always been there.” And visitors are eager to use the space and offer suggestions for activities.
The Champlin Foundation understands how important small libraries are to our society. Thanks to their support over the years, the Ashaway Free Library continues to evolve and nurture our community.