R 333

2015 -- H 6258 Enacted 05/27/2015

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EAST BAY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM AND CELEBRATING ITS 12TH ANNUAL SEASIDE GALA ON JUNE 3, 2015

Introduced By: Representatives Abney, Carson, Ajello, and Ruggiero

Date Introduced: May 27, 2015

WHEREAS, In 2015, the East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP) is celebrating

its 50th Anniversary of providing a wide array of critical health and human services to the

residents of Rhode Island's East Bay including the Cities of Newport and East Providence and the

Towns of Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton, Barrington, Bristol and Warren;

and

WHEREAS, The noble mission of the Community Action Program is to provide high

quality, comprehensive and accessible health and human services to assist people to reach their

highest potential, and dates back to the mid-1960s when President Lyndon B. Johnson initiated

our nation's War on Poverty as well as numerous additional and successful programs of the Great

Society; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, New Visions for Newport County, Inc. (which served Newport

County) and Self Help, Inc. (which served Bristol County and East Providence) merged, resulting

in the East Bay Community Action Program which reaches a far greater geographic region and

provides a vastly broadened scope of services; and

WHEREAS, Currently, the agency serves approximately 22,000 residents annually, from

very young children in the Head Start Program to the senior citizens who are assisted with case

management services, and through volunteer and service opportunities, as well as nutrition

programs; and

WHEREAS, The agency is committed to serving the individual client and their entire

family so that they may receive coordinated medical, dental, after-school care and social services

using a one-stop shopping approach; and

WHEREAS, The more than 300 diverse and highly dedicated administrators and staff

personnel at EBCAP range from health professionals and family advocates to nutritionists, child

care professionals, youth workers and many more, and are united in the belief that "any door is

the right door to receive the help that is needed"; and

WHEREAS, EBCAP's hard working and committed Board of Directors is representative

of the community's private and public sectors and agency consumers, and of the cities and towns

of the entire East Bay region; and

WHEREAS, The agency's ability to successfully offer a seamless array of services to its

patients and clients is predicated on the united assistance from EBCAP's many state, local and

federal partnerships including government, school departments, institutions of higher education,

community-based agencies and funders to name a few; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby joins the Board of Directors, administrators and staff in

commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the East Bay Community Action Program and

celebrating its 12th Annual Seaside Gala on June 3, 2015; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Susan Schenck, East Bay Community Action

Program.

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LC002774

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