All Entries in the "Featured Articles" Category

GIVING SENIORS A REASON TO SMILE

Elves for Elders creates opportunity for providing cheer to those without.

The holiday season brings the best in people since they are receptive to giving. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, people donate frequently to not only feel good about themselves, but to also get the tax benefits associated with helping others.

Reed Presents Warwick WWII Veteran with Military Medals

93 year old Providence native gets belated recognition for taking part in the most famous amphibious operation in history

CRANSTON, RI – Nearly three-quarters of a century ago, Warwick resident Frank Amalfetano was helping Allied forces get ashore during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France.  Today, during a special ceremony surrounded by family and friends, U.S. Senator Jack Reedpresented the 93-year-old Providence native and World War II veteran with the medals he earned but never received for his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Among the medals Mr. Amalfetano received were the American Campaign Medal; the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star; the World War II Victory Medal; an Honorable Discharge Button; and an Honorable Service Lapel Pin (Ruptured Duck).

Mr. Amalfetano enlisted in the Navy at the age of 18, and after boot camp was sent to Fort Pierce, Florida, where he trained as a coxswain with Navy Seals Demolition teams.

Mr. Amalfetano was then assigned to his first Landing Ship Tank (LST) in New Orleans, Louisiana.  LSTs were used to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with no docks or piers.

Mr. Amalfetano was deployed to Europe and sailed to Southampton in Hampshire, England, aboard a ship that was at times pursued by German U-boats as they crossed the Atlantic.

Mr. Amalfetano participated in the D-Day invasion of Nazi-controlled France by Allied forces, transporting British soldiers on his LST to Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches.  Following the invasion, he worked with the Army engineers to sink old ships and create a breakwater so a dock could be built to help unload soldiers and supplies at the beach.  He spent a total of three months at Normandy.

Frank’s brother, Anthony Amalfetano, enlisted in the U.S. Army and was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge.

“Frank Amalfetano is a true patriot and it is an honor to present him with these long overdue medals and our enduring gratitude for his service.  In addition to Mr. Amalfetano, we also recognize his brother and brothers-in-arms who sacrificed everything for the freedom of all of us,” said Senator Reed, a former Army Ranger and the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  “We are grateful to Frank for serving his country with great courage.  We must continue to recognize, honor, and celebrate our World War II veterans and all who serve their nation for their great contributions and achievements.”

After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Frank ran his family’s ice cream business in Providence (Elmwood Creamery) and eventually opened his own Ice Cream store in Warwick (Jennie’s Dairy Freeze), which he operated for 55 years before retiring in 2003.

According to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, only 620,000 were alive in 2016, including over 2,600 Rhode Islanders.

Rhode Island Foundation invites you to share your thoughts at free community meet-ups May 3 and 5

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island Foundation is inviting the public to share their thoughts about the issues that are important to them at free community get-togethers May 3 and May 5. The events are at the heart “TogetherRI,” a new initiative from the Foundation designed to get people talking face-to-face again in a time social media is becoming increasingly coarse and divisive.

“We’re giving you the opportunity to listen, reconnect and inspire civil dialogue at a time when people are more ‘connected’ via social media, yet more disconnected from each other personally than ever,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “Our hope is that participants will meet someone new and will leave knowing that their voice was heard.”

The May 3 community dinner will be held at the Meehan Overlook, Governor Notte Park, 1801 Douglas Ave., North Providence, from 6 p.m. to 7:30p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and the doors will open at 5:45 p.m. People can register to attend at togetherri.org, but RSVPs are not required.

“This is a place for everyone – no matter where they live or what they care about – to come together to strengthen social connections, to be heard, to discuss opportunities and challenges and to strengthen the foundation of our community,” said Steinberg.

For people who cannot attend the North Providence event, a free community breakfast is scheduled for May 5 at the Elmwood Community Center, 155 Niagara St., Providence, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The doors will open at 8:45 a.m.

“Each and every Rhode Islander has a role to play in ensuring our collective success. These conversations will be a neutral place for dialogue on topics that are critical to our common future, and a place where we hope the recent tendency toward divisiveness and polarization will be left at the door,” said Steinberg.

Independent, professional facilitators will guide the sessions. The University of Rhode Island’s Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy will review the information shared at TogetherRI conversations and from brief, anonymous, participant surveys. The Foundation expects to announce the topline results at its annual meeting May 24 and to release a complete report this summer. 

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised $38 million and awarded $43 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities in 2017. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.

New England Financial Services Champion

Buck Harris, Vice President of Community Lending at Community Investment Corporation

“Over the last several years of working with Buck, I have seen him go to great lengths to help small businesses get the financing they need,” said Joshua Daly, Director of the Southern Region of the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center. Those who know Buck know all too well that phrases like the one above are commonplace when discussing him.
Since spearheading Community Investment Corporations (CIC) offerings into Rhode Island, Harris has quickly launched CIC into both the number one SBA Micro-lender and Community Advantage Lender. Often Harris goes above and beyond to provide potential small business owners with every opportunity to acquire the capital they need. In most cases these borrowers are out of the realm of conventional lenders and, without Harris and CIC, would have no other options.

“Small business loans are life changing for people who cannot otherwise get the financing they need to open or grow a small business” said Harris, “and it’s not just capital we are offering; we are providing guidance, opportunity, and hope for a more rewarding life. The only thing our borrowers have to pay back is the cash! I couldn’t imagine a more rewarding career,” he added. Harris has become an asset to SBA resource partners like the SBDC and SCORE, working with their counselors, and building on their efforts by providing financing to their clients. CIC makes every attempt to expand their offerings to as many people as possible. In fiscal year 2017, between Community Advantage and Micro loans, Harris closed 21 loans for a total of $1,500,000.

“Buck is an asset for to Rhode Island small business community,” said SBA Rhode Island District Director, Mark S. Hayward, “There are times when conventional lenders aren’t able to help those small businesses in need. Buck has time and again reached out and done everything he can to help that population of people through education, referrals, and lending,” Hayward attested. While Harris continues to make his mark in Rhode Island, he makes it a point to serve other New England markets, including Connecticut. Remaining dedicated to serving as many in the small business community as possible, wherever they may be, whatever their circumstance might dictate, has bolstered Harris’ reputation amongst his peers and the entrepreneurs he works with. For his tireless work and dedication to furthering the small business community the U.S. Small Business Administration is proud to honor Buck Harris, Vice President of Community Lending at Community Investment Corporation, with the 2018 New England Financial Services Champion Award.