Good Ideas

It’s a date . . . it’s an area code . . . it’s a day for giving to local nonprofits. If your inbox did not explode this morning with suggestions, we have a few for you: The Rhode Island Community Food Bank will put your donation to good use; rising food costs have hit

Let’s do this. A grassroots movement is calling on Americans to abstain from shopping with major retailers all day Friday, February 28th, as part of an “economic blackout.” This protest calls on consumers to avoid all unnecessary purchases, either in-person or online, from midnight Thursday through midnight Friday, local time. No spending for 24 hours!

The long-awaited opening of the Echo Village Pallet shelter on Tuesday was celebrated with speeches by state and local officials and a musical welcome from the Extraordinary Rendition Band. This project brings online 45 shelters, a freestanding community room building, a laundry building, bathrooms, showers and offices where residents can meet with social workers. (This

Applications are now being accepted for the Wedding Cake House Work/Exchange Artist in Residence program. Responsibilities fall into two main categories: Innkeeper support and Residency Program support. There will likely be some weeks when there is a good deal of free time during innkeeper shifts, and others that involve the completion of more tasks. No

(1.13) Have you still not filed your 2023 tax return? Maybe it’s even been a few years? The Rhode Island Division of Taxation will be holding its Tax Compliance Day this Monday on the Rhode Island College campus. The event is free . . . go get yourself sorted out. Registration is recommended but walk-ins

(12.22) The West Broadway Neighborhood Association invites people of good will to the 17th annual West Side Caroling. Dress warmly and take a pleasant stroll with fun people. If you don’t know the words just move your lips. And caroling is thirsty work so they’ve scheduled a break in the middle for sitting down and

This is no joke. Corporate sponsors have been peeling off for various reasons and last summer’s schedule had to be pared down. WaterFire nights continue to be well-attended but it has been easy to take it for granted — it’s just free. But is your firewood free? They must have enormous operating costs. WaterFire executive

(11.30) Every day should be Small Business Day, but today we make a special note of the people who have had the optimism and courage to go all in. They invest in your community, employ your family and friends, pay local taxes, maintain the brick-and-mortar storefronts that make for a vibrant neighborhood, and offer unique,

The Mayor has announced that two hours of free parking will be available at meters in designated commercial districts around Providence starting today. The two-hour free holiday parking program begins on Small Business Saturday and runs through Wednesday, January 1. The holiday parking program is designed to make it easier for shoppers to visit local

(11.29) The annual Buy Nothing Day Coat Exchange takes place this Friday on the State House lawn, the side facing the train station and mall. For more than 25 years, Buy Nothing Day has set up here the day after Thanksgiving to provide coats and warm winter gear to those who need it — no

When will Echo Village be ready for habitation? Cold weather is presumably on its way and yet the pallet shelters are still not ready for occupation. With the goal of providing emergency shelter for those experiencing homelessness, the original target for bringing these 45 units online had been last spring. Months later, and with cold