Setting out upon the highway that is 2022, we all were hopeful that the pandemic was in our rearview mirror and better times were ahead. While Covid appears to be waning, our hopes have been challenged by additional hardships: severe inflation, rising gas prices, and, of course, tragic events on the world stage. In the face of such new crises, we are sometimes tempted to pause our journeys, to turn inward and tune out the world around us.

But we must keep moving forward. To do so, we at RIHEBC have focused on how we might impact those around us, and how we might proceed with an emphasis on progress. And for me, this quarter, progress was made once again in the form of helping important Rhode Island institutions achieve their goals and further their missions. All of these wonderful organizations and the support RIHEBC was able to give them are highlighted in this newsletter. 

At one end of the beautiful spectrum of organizations that RIHEBC was able to assist is AccessPoint RI, to whom we made a $20,000 grant for emergency generators for its homes for developmentally disabled adults. For CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, we provided a $100,000 grant for badly needed capital projects to assist them at a time when mental health issues and opioid addiction are at an all-time high. Both AccessPoint and CODAC were among 12 recipients of just over $1 million in grants from RIHEBC’s Board-approved FY22 Capital Grant Program. On the other side of the spectrum, and at the heart of our mission, are the school districts, including Pawtucket, Newport, and Warwick, for whom we facilitated $160 million in low-interest-rate financings to renovate or replace aging, deteriorating and outdated school buildings.

I extend my sincere thanks to RIHEBC’s Board of Directors, who voluntarily offer their expertise and thoughtful guidance to all of RIHEBC’s activities, including those highlighted within.

Kim Mooers

Emergency generators in two group homes for adults with developmental disabilities.

Mandatory capital improvements at Providence and Pawtucket locations.

ADA handicapped accessible playground at Norton Elementary School.

Repair damage caused by a flood at 55 Hope Street, Providence.

Install fire sprinkler system in the Mullen Building, a recreational center and gymnasium for children and adults with disabilities.

Rehabilitation equipment and diathermy treatment equipment; care management operating system.

Replace malfunctioning HVAC units in 15 family apartments.

Roof replacement of school building built in 1960.

Development of an artificial turf field with lighting, a press box, spectator seating and additional parking, to be used by the School and the surrounding communities.

Nurse call light system.

Roof replacement of Eleanor Briggs School (special education k-12).

Purchase of sterilization equipment for new dental facility.

We are pleased to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors:

Mr. Murray, a resident of Cumberland, Rhode Island for 56 years, was Mayor of Cumberland from 2015 to 2019. He is currently working for Best Practice Energy in Wakefield as Energy Adviser/Consultant.

Lisa Andoscia is a resident of North Providence, Rhode Island, and a business consultant. In 2002, Lisa founded Rosewood Consulting Inc.

Channavy Chhay, a resident of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, is the Executive Director of the Center for Southeast Asians.

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