State House

Center in December to speak about transportation services. This is a great time to ask a RIPTA Representative what they offer for services as well as see what bus routes are available near you. See you there!

Healthy Heart Nutrition Program

Shop Smart for a Healthy Heart December 30th 10:30-11:30 am

Join us for a nutritional presentation on food shopping for those living with high blood pressure. We’ll share food tips to help you make better choices at the grocery store without breaking the bank. Plus, learn how certain substitutions and spices can help you ditch the salt and elevate your meal without raising your blood pressure.

This presentation is mandatory for those participating in the Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program. Seats are limited. Please call 435-7800 to register.

January’s Book Club Selection

Wed, Jan 19th at 10:00 am.

January’s book selection is: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.

Discover a new way to connect yourself with others by joining the Senior Center Book Club hosted by the Weaver Library. Book clubs help improve brain function and expand vocabulary. Stay sharp by diving into a good book. Please see Senior Center receptionist to sign up and receive a loaner book.

Fitness Classes

• Zumba Gold: Mondays -10:30-11:30.

Instructor-Sue Young. Cost-$2.00.

Registration Required- Limited to 22

Participants • Line Dancing: Mondays-1:30-2:30.

Instructor-Sue Young. Cost-$2.00.

Registration Required-Limited to 20

Participants • Chair Exercise: Tuesdays-10:45-11:45.

Instructor-Cynthia Charron. Cost-$2.00.

Registration Required-Limited to 25

Participants • Pace Chair Exercise: Weds and Fri 10:45-11:45. Instructor-Muriel Woodcock. Cost– No Cost. Registration

Required-Limit to 25 Participants • 20/20/20 Exercise: Thurs days-9:30-10:30 Instructor-Robin Cullinan. Cost-$2.00. Registration Required-Limit to 25 Participants

Chrome Book computers available to use or bring your own laptop or tablet.

Call 401-435-7800 or stop by the Senior Center reception desk for more information and to register.

• Computer Basics with Amanda

Thursdays, starting 1/6/22. Cost: Free.

Registering now for January’s 4 -week session.

Age Well Get Connected:

Sponsored by Eastbay Community Action • Computer Classes Dec.22th –10:3011:30. Do you want to learn how to refill your prescriptions using your computer? If so, this is the class for you.

• Monthly Computer Classes for Older

Adults 4th Wednesday of each month.

Need Assistance With Your Smart Phone?

Drop by the East Providence Senior Center on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2nd, from 1PM-2PM Learn some tips and tricks with your Smart Phone! No registration required

East Providence Senior Center Holiday Celebration

Friday, Dec 17th, 10:00am -11:30am

Make a center piece for your holiday table. Bring a $5.00 gift to exchange. Holiday Music and Yummy Treats.

Coffee with the Mayor

Come have your morning coffee and a chat with Mayor Bob DaSilva Wednesday, December 9th from 9:00 am-10:00 am at East Providence Senior Center.

URI SNAP Education

Wed, Dec 15th 10:30 am-11:30 am

Holiday Sugar Swaps: We will be doing a granola recipe. Come learn how to be more mindful when eating during the holidays. Call 401-435-7800 to register

Mindful Meditation

Fridays at 11:00 am

Join us every Friday for an hour of mindful meditation.

Reach 100% of your customers! Call 508.252.6575 to advertise!

ARPA Funds Present

Opportunity To Address

Food Insecurity Through

Retail SNAP Incentive Program By Sen. Valarie J. Lawson and Dr. Amy Nunn

The number of families and children going hungry in Rhode Island has reached a crisis point. As Rhode Island leaders debate how to allocate $1.1 billion in federal funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), we have a generational opportunity to address this crisis head-on.

According to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, one in four local households are experiencing hunger. This marks the highest hunger rate Rhode Island has reported in decades, and puts us near the bottom of the nation when it comes to food security. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this unfortunate trend, leading to a 65 percent increase in local households that rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on their tables.

While SNAP benefits are certainly crucial resources in Rhode Island’s most vulnerable communities, we know these dollars can only go so far to truly address the realities of hunger. The average cost of a healthy, nutrient-rich meal, according to Feeding America, is around $3.23. The discrepancy between benefits received and the real cost of nutritious food is forcing far too many families to stretch their budgets by opting for cheaper, unhealthy options. As rapid inflation leads to fresh produce becoming even more expensive, this problem is trending toward getting worse before it gets better.

That’s why we are urging Governor McKee and Rhode Island leaders to allocate $25 million in ARPA funds to create what’s known as a Retail SNAP Incentive Program on a statewide level. The program we and other elected leaders and public health advocates across the state are supporting would provide SNAP beneficiaries in Rhode Island with a 50 percent discount on fresh fruits and vegetables when they pay with their benefits in retail settings. In essence, this program would double low-income individuals’ purchasing power in produce aisles across the state, directly leading to increased sales for grocers and significantly improved health outcomes for Rhode Island’s underserved populations.

There is an abundance of evidence that shows financial-based incentive programs like the one we are proposing are extremely effective in reducing hunger and increasing consumption of healthy food items. On a local level, Retail SNAP Incentives aren’t available in retail settings, where the majority of SNAP beneficiaries shop, but variations of them are offered, and widely used, across Rhode Island through initiatives like Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s Bonus Bucks program and Rhode Island Public Health Institute’s Food on the Move program. Across the border in Massachusetts, legislators have committed once again to fund the statewide Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which, since its launch in 2017, has reached nearly 100,000 families; encouraged more than $26 million in produce sales; and led to an eye-popping 1,250 percent increase in SNAP sales at participating markets.

Similar programs have been launched in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington – and in every instance, in every corner of the country, the impact is clear: When individuals and families are given the opportunity to make healthier choices, they take it. SNAP beneficiaries buy more fruits and vegetables, improving their overall health and well-being, while at the same time, farmers, food distributors, grocers and the overarching economy all benefit from the increased purchasing power of tens of thousands of new customers.

It is past time to implement a statewide, long-term plan to reduce hunger in our communities, and the introduction of a Retail SNAP Incentive Program is a good first step. The availability of $1.1 billion in federal ARPA funds, a pool of resources earmarked to address “immediate needs” in Rhode Island’s post-COVID recovery, presents an ideal opportunity for Rhode Island to fund the launch stage of this program and help our neighbors afford the fresh, healthy food their families need and deserve.

Once it gets off the ground, we are confident the impact this program will have in Rhode Island’s most vulnerable communities will speak for itself.

Sen. Valarie J. Lawson, a Democrat, represents District 14 in East Providence. Dr. Amy Nunn is the executive director of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute.

Matthew Dawson Announces Intent to Run for the District 65 RI House of Representatives Seat Being Vacated by Representative Gregg Amore

Lifelong East Providence resident, former State prosecutor, and attorney Matthew Dawson has announced his intent to pursue the Democratic nomination for RI House of Representatives, District 65 seat (Kent Heights and Riverside), which is currently held by Representative Gregg Amore, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State in 2022.

Mr. Dawson served as a prosecutor for the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office for over twenty years where he served as both Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Chief of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit. Dawson prosecuted numerous high-profile and complex criminal cases as a prosecutor and was the Attorney General’s liaison to the East Providence Police Department for sixteen years. He is currently a practicing attorney, specializing in litigation, with the firm of Lynch and Pine and the current President of the Rhode Island Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. A graduate of East Providence High School, the University of Rhode Island and New England School of Law, Dawson has committed his entire career to service in the justice system. He was also a Probate Judge in East Providence and currently serves on the City’s Personnel Board.

Dawson, 53 is a fourth generation Townie and is married to the former Bethany Lima. They have two daughters Kelsea and Abigail who are both college students. Dawson has lived his entire life in East Providence in both the Riverside and Kent Heights neighborhoods. He has lived in the Terrace section of Riverside for the past twenty years. “

I have decided to pursue this seat because of my long-standing belief in public service and my love the city I grew up in and its people. I also believe I have the skill set, educational background, and experience to be an effective law maker and advocate for East Providence. I have never run for elected office before and I look at this opportunity as a way to give back to the community that has given so much to me. During my career I have been fortunate to have built a reputation as a hard worker who is both fair minded and accountable. I don’t believe that politics has to be as polarizing as it has become, and while I have a strong belief in social justice, helping the most vulnerable among us, providing for a quality education for our children, and making sure every Rhode Islander can pursue their economic dream. I know that government works best when we talk to and not past or at each other. I understand what an important responsibility it is to ask people in your community to allow you the opportunity to represent their interests at the State House. I am humble enough to know that I do not have all answers to the many challenges that face us. I am smart enough to know that listening to my neighbors is the best way to learn about what they feel are the most important issue going forward. I am eager to spending a great deal of time from now until the September 2022 primary engaging the citizens of District 65, listening to their concerns, ideas and suggestions and sharing my ideas with them. I want to thank Representative Gregg Amore for his exemplary service to our community. He has been the model of what a dedicated public servant should be, both as a teacher and a State Representative. If I am fortunate enough to be elected, I fully intent to continue the great work he has done for East Providence. I wish Gregg well in his run for Secretary of State and offer him my full support.”