United Way and the City of Providence award 15 Providence Equity Fund Grants

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) –Mayor Brett Smiley and the United Way of Rhode Island gave out $1.5 million worth of community grants, as part of the Providence Municipal Reparations Commission.

Fifteen organizations were recognized Wednesday as part of the grant funding, with three key metrics guiding the decision: a focus on closing the racial wealth gap, enhancing cultural resources in education and out-of-school learning, and combating the impacts of urban renewal due to displacement and gentrification.

“Today we are announcing grants to 15 remarkable organizations that are going to be investments in the future of our city and the future of our people,” Smiley said.

The city and United Way said the grants were the products of “months of work,” as well as a 2022 commitment of $10 million worth of American Rescue Plan funding to address underserved communities in the capital city.

However, that funding will come to an end soon.

“The conversation has to continually happen, because as I mentioned in my remarks, the moneys that were received were ARPA dollars,” Providence Municipal Reparations Commission Chair Rodney Davis said. “They were not an unrestricted fund that we could tap into. However, there are still conversations that need to be had with many entities”

The event was hosted by one of the 15 grantees, Building Futures.

Lamar Wilburn, who went through their program, highlighted just how important he sees the work as.

“They fought hard for me, the system on the inside, it’ll fail us a lot,” Wilburn said. “Somebody like myself, I sat for 13 years. Two weeks before I was being released a discharge planner met with me and said, We don’t even know you were leaving.'”

The other fourteen organizations include the Center for Indigenous People’s Rights, the Center for Women and Enterprise, College Unbound, D.A.R.E., Justice Assistance, Manton Avenue Project, Mini Entrepreneurs of Rhode Island, Olneyville Neighborhood Association, Providence Promise, Providence Revolving Fund, Rhode Island Black Business Association, Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, Sojourner House, and the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council.

While 15 groups were acknowledged, more than 100 applied.

Staff from United Way said they are reaching out to each of those organizations to continue the work even once the specific funding is gone.