After a two-year virtual hiatus, we had over 500 guests join us on October 3, including so many Rhode Island government and business leaders, and raised over $270,000 for FSRI’s early childhood development programs. Just INCREDIBLE!

Thank you so much for your support! This community shows us time and time again that together we can do great things.

There’s still time to give!

Text ‘FSRI4Kids‘ to 44-321 or click here.

Each year, Family Service of Rhode Island (FSRI) honors a visionary who has had a transformational impact on the lives of our state’s children and families. This year’s theme, Survive & Thrive, commemorates the efforts of FSRI’s early childhood programs, which work to end preventable infant deaths, fill the gap in healthcare equity, and promote healthy growth for all infants and children.

This year we will be honoring House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi for his tireless work in the RI Statehouse to advance issues being faced by our underserved children and families. In 2022, Speaker Shekarchi spearheaded the passage of a budget amendment to invest $119 million from Rhode Island’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which includes $44.5 million to support children, families, and social programs and $29.5 million to promote affordable housing, housing stability supports and broadband.

During our virtual program, you will receive 6 text messages, each with a shortcut to the next part of the program.

Before we get started, we’d like to introduce you to a few folks.

Our host, Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, is a Rhode Island native, father, husband, storyteller, and educator. A 2007 Yale graduate, he has been the Artistic Director of Mixed Magic Theater since 2010 where he has overseen numerous productions.

In the fall of 2021, Jonathan was named Creative Director at Curiosity & Co., a bookstore, wine bar, and cultural center in Jamestown, RI. Outside of the theater and classroom, Jonathan is an avid portrait photographer, and co-founder of The Vanta Guild, a collective of Rhode Island-based Black photographers.

Margaret Holland McDuff is the Chief Executive Officer of Family Service of Rhode Island. She has worked in the field of social services for the past 20 years and is committed to working with families and communities to promote optimal well-being and health.

About FSRI:

At FSRI, advance equity, opportunity, and hope in our communities. We believe all children and families have limitless potential. But for those growing up surrounded by poverty, family instability, and physical or emotional stress, life is too often about survival, not possibility. To learn more about us and our program and services visit: https://www.familyserviceri.org/about/

• If 40 of you here today give $25, we can provide 10 cribbettes to provide safe sleep for newborns and babies.
• If 30 of you give $50, we can help 10 kids with speech pathology services.
• If 20 of you give $100, we can provide 10 home health visits to a newborn by a pediatric nurse.
• If 10 of you give $30 we can provide 10 home deliveries of emergency food & formula for babies.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Now we’re going to learn a little bit about our honoree. But before that, let’s see if there are any champions for children in the room today.