The Boys & Girls Club of Newport County shared the following information today regarding two North End residents being honored this week for first year of volunteer service.
Aligned with the Newport Working Cities goal to decrease the barriers for families to reach their career and community goals, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County (BGCNC) will host Rhode Island State Senator Dawn Euer, Esq. at the Florence Gray Center to thank and acknowledge Dianne Ford and Ellen Pinnock for completing one year of volunteer service to the families of Newport. Senator Euer will be joined by Executive Director, Joseph Pratt, on Thursday, September 12th at 11am.
Ms. Ford and Ms. Pinnock completed their first year of full-time volunteer service this September as part of the national AmeriCorps VISTA program. The BGCNC is the sponsor for four (4) VISTA members to provide capacity building services to numerous nonprofit and public sector partners through Newport Working Cities.
“I am proud to be here and celebrate how Newporters commit to stewardship roles to support Newport families,” stated State Senator Dawn Euer.
Kate Cantwell, Initiative Director for Newport Working Cities shared, “Ms. Pinnock & Ms. Ford represent how the collaboratives Working Cities and the Health Equity Zone bring residents to the center of decision-making and leadership. Their sacrifice and commitment to the neighborhood are a shining example of stewardship and two of the many residents bringing positive systems change to the North End.”
Ms. Pinnock served as the School Culture and Climate VISTA connecting students to communication, racial equity, and soft skills training through Newport Public Schools and Boys & Girls Club College and Career Center. Her work piloted methods for Newport to successfully win an AmeriCorps State grant from the Rhode Island Department of Education for 12 AmeriCorps members to implement a new program at every public school to reduce absenteeism and increase social emotional growth programs after school.Ms. Ford piloted the Working Cities “Career Pathway/Dream Room” process at the Florence M. Gray Community Center connecting residents to organizations and networks for North End residents to reach their career and community goals.
Together, Ms. Ford and Ms. Pinnock contributed to over 175 students and residents completing a skill training or employment placement.
Ms. Pinnock completed her first year of service September 3rd and will be leading the AmeriCorps “Check & Connect” program with Fab Newport. Ms. Ford will serve an additional year with the BGCNC and Working Cities.
Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County, Joseph Pratt stated, “As the backbone for the Newport Working Cities collaborative, we are proud to support the growth and successes of our AmeriCorps VISTAs over the past year as they overcame barriers and challenges to reach the goals of our AmeriCorps VISTA grant, providing capacity building for the Club and other organizations such as East Bay Community Action Program, Newport Public Schools, among several others.”
Senator Euer and Joseph Pratt will present RI State citiations to Ms. Ford and Ms. Pinnock at the Florence M. Gray Center on Thursday, September 12th at 11 am.