Last May, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President and CEO Eric Rosengren and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo announced that Cranston, Newport, and Providence won the Fed’s Working Cities Challenge, a competition for Rhode Island communities to improve the lives of low- and moderate-income residents.

The three cities each received multiyear grants of $400,000 to support programs designed to spur workforce development and job creation among low- and moderate-income residents. Newport is using the $400,000 three-year grant to develop and implement a plan to improve the lives of low-income Newport residents by decreasing poverty rates by 20% over the next decade.

Kate Cantwell, Strategic Initiative Director for Working Cities Newport, and Joe Pratt, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Newport County joined me to chat about Working Cities Newport, the Working Cities New Year Celebration that is scheduled to take place on January 20th at the Florence Gray Center, and more.

https://whatsupnewp.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018_01_19_1262_65190_4433.mp3

Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp. Although not the founder or original owner, Belmore has been with What'sUpNewp since its early beginnings in 2012.

Belmore was born in Providence, Rhode Island; grew up and graduated high school in Coventry, Rhode Island; and lived in Newport, Rhode Island for more than ten years. He currently serves as Vice President of the Board Of Directors for Fort Adams Trust and on the Board of Directors for Potter League For Animals.

He and his wife, Jen, as well as their two dogs (Aero and June), recently moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Belmore travels back and forth to Newport every couple of weeks to cover events, work on story ideas, to meet with What'sUpNewp's on-the-ground contributors, to visit friends, and to eat as much seafood as possible.

Belmore is a member of Local Independent Online News Publishers, Society of Professional Journalists, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.