Ten Donation Stations to be installed across the city to collect funds for local housing & service organizations
PROVIDENCE, RI – Mayor Jorge O. Elorza today joined members of the City Council, public safety officials, and community leaders who have been named to the PVD Gives commission for the unveiling of the City’s first Donation Station at Kennedy Plaza. The retrofitted parking meter is one of ten stations that will be installed across the city to collect funds that will support local organizations that provide housing and services to those in need.
“PVD Gives and the new Donation Stations make it easier to give back,” said Mayor Jorge Elorza. “Our collective generosity can make all the difference in the lives of those striving to get back on their feet. I encourage visitors and residents to chip in and be part of the solution.”
In September of last year, Mayor Elorza announced the creation of PVD Gives, a citywide program creating clear avenues for Providence visitors and residents to donate to local organizations that provide support and assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness. The program collects donations through the Stations and online at www.pvdgives.org.
In addition to the Station at Kennedy Plaza, in the coming weeks Stations will be installed at the intersections of Thayer Street and Angell Street, Chalkstone Avenue and Academy Avenue, Hopkins Square at Branch Avenue and Charles Street, Broad Street and Colfax Street, Broad Street and Pearl Street, Broadway and Knight Street, DePasquale Square on Atwells Avenue fronting Spruce Street, Wayland Square, and the Joseph A Doorley Jr. Municipal Building at 444 Westminster Street. Additional signage for program promotion will be installed in 30 locations across the city.
Funds collected through the program will be distributed to eligible local non-profit organizations after a competitive grants process which is slated to begin in March 2018. The PVD Gives commission which will review applications is composed of five members, including the Mayor or his designee, three mayoral appointees and one appointee by the City Council President. Lieutenant Henry Remolina of the Providence Police Department has been named Mayor Elorza’s designee.
Organizations interested in applying for funding should visit www.pvdgives.org/apply. Funds will be awarded on a semi-annual basis in June and December.
Mayor Elorza also allocated $200,000 in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget to support Amos House’s A Hand Up, an effective program that provides employment opportunities for the homeless.