Sun Rise Scoops

Chamber’s

Legislative Reception

The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and its partners from the Chamber of Commerce Coalition will host the annual Legislative Reception on March 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will be held in the Bell Room at the State House, with complimentary valet parking available at the Smith Street entrance.

The reception is an opportunity for business leaders from around the state to meet with colleagues and elected officials to discuss business issues and concerns they may have in a relaxed and informal setting. The Northern RI Chamber of Commerce coordinates the Chamber of Commerce Coalition, which is the largest business advocacy and lobbying organization in the state, representing more than 7,500 participating businesses and 70,000 employees. 

Hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary bar will be available. The cost to attend is $20 per person. For more information or to place a reservation, call 401-334-1000.

Anointing of the Sick

The Prayer Shawl Ministry of St. Brigid’s Church, 1231 Plainfield St. in Johnston, will be sponsoring its quarterly Mass of Anointing of the Sick on Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m. Anyone preparing for surgery, suffering from a chronic illness, elderly, or experiencing spiritual and emotional pain is invited to come and pray for healing. Prayer Shawls made by the Prayer Shawl Ministry of the Parish and blessed by the Rev. Father Robert Rochon will be distributed, upon requests.

Academic

News & Notes

Congratulations to Victoria Shakespeare of Johnston, who has been named to the fall 2015 dean’s honor list at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Congratulations also to Robert Parker of Johnston, who was named to the fall 2015 dean’s list at RPI.

Baby Boomers

on Facebook

Cherry Hill Manor will host Baby Boomers on Facebook with Deb Mullen at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. Please bring your smart phone, tablet or laptop for this fun, interactive training on Facebook. Learn how to set up your profile, find friends, Facebook privacy, how to create and share posts, and how to set up albums and upload pictures. Seating is limited, so please RSVP by calling Loraine at 401-231-3102, ext. 6385. There are a limited number of devices available to be borrowed during the program. Cherry Hill Manor is located at 2 Cherry Hill Road.

Tri-Town offers

free tax prep to

qualified applicants

Tri-Town Community Action Agency is looking for taxpayers to apply for free tax preparation through the agency’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

“Last year, our VITA volunteers prepared more than 640 federal and 700 state tax returns for clients, providing help to local families through refunds totaling more than $1 million, an average of almost $2,000 per family,” Tri-Town CEO Joseph DeSantis explained. “And because our program is free, clients also saved an estimated $145,000 for the costs of private tax preparation.”

Free tax preparation is available to income-qualified individuals, who generally make less than $54,000 in annual income. As a result, many applicants are also eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), potentially increasing their tax refund, DeSantis said.

For more information about Tri-Town’s VITA program, call 401-519-1913 or visit tri-town.org.

Volunteers needed

at Tri-Town

The Tri-Town Community Center needs volunteers to help with its food distribution program. Hours are the first three Wednesdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also sought are people to help relocate the food program to Emanuel Avenue at a date and time to be determined. Background checks are required. Tri-Town will cover the costs for the background checks, and the Health Center is available to conduct physical exams to ensure the fitness of volunteers.

If interested, please call 401-519-1917.

Job Ready at Tri-Town

Tri-Town Community Action Agency will accept applications on an ongoing basis to its “Job Ready” career exploration program for upcoming sessions, the agency announced. The program kicked off in October, and is expected to be held quarterly during the year as needed.

Job-seekers from 18 to 24 years of age who are not attending school can apply to the five-week, free program that helps candidates find a career path that matches their skills and interests. A 20-hour orientation program is presented during the first week, including lessons on improving “soft skills,” like work ethic and problem solving; enhancing work readiness; understanding financial literacy; preparing for job interviews; and completing CPR, First Aid, and AED training.

Other program highlights include a 100-hour paid job shadow opportunity, with the potential to participate in the On the Job Training [OJT] or Work Immersions program offered by the Rhode Island Department of Employment and Training.

A work-eligible social security number and eligibility to work in the U.S. are required. Participants must also be available for the entire length of the program, 25 hours per week for five weeks. Paid work experience can take place at nights and weekends.

Residents of Rhode Island except Cranston and Providence – who can participate in programs in those cities – are eligible to take part in the Tri-Town hosted program.

Contact Jamie Sisto at Tri-Town Community Center, 33 Maple Ave., North Providence, at 401-519-1929 or email jsisto@tri-town.org for more information.

Gotta Have Sole

Foundation Scholarship

Gotta Have Sole Foundation Inc. has announced a Scholarship Program to provide extraordinary teens in need with the funds to take a step forward. Five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to incoming first-year students to pursue higher education. Requirements and application materials can be found at gottahavesole.org/ghs/scholarship. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. on March 5, and winners will be announced on April 11.

Bringing the world to RI

Cranston resident Everett McCurdy is bringing the world to Rhode Island, one international teenager at a time. McCurdy is an area representative of the ASSE International Student Exchange Program, whose primary goal is to contribute to international understanding by enabling foreign students to learn through active participation in family, school, and community life.

McCurdy will be interviewing families in the area to host exceptional high school students from Europe, Asia, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Middle East, and Scandinavia. Again this year, the ASSE Program is proud to also include students from the republics of the former Soviet Union on its roster. These students stay with volunteer host families for one academic school year and arrive with insurance and their own spending money.

For more information, contact Everett McCurdy at 401-481-2533 or visit host.asse.com.

Did You Know?

It’s almost that time of year again. Soon the clocks will spring ahead for most of the country, and we’ll enjoy that extra hour of daylight in the evening. We’ll also lose an extra hour of sleep.

During 2016, daylight saving time is in effect from March 13 at 2 a.m. (local time) to Nov. 6 at 2 a.m. (local time). Currently, in the U.S., daylight saving begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. (Source: 2016 Daylight Savings Time)

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