Joining Senator Reed and RI Department of Labor & Training Director Sandra Powell in making the announcement was Nzinga Misgana, Executive Director of New Roots Providence, Reverend Matthew Kai, President of the Governing Board of the RI State Council of Churches, Sol Rodriguez, Executive Director of the RI Family Life Center and Rebekah Greenwald, Executive Director of Riverzedge Arts Project. The United Way of RI, Rhode Island Foundation, RI Local Initiatives Support Coalition and the Governors Workforce Board each provided critical co-investment to help leverage the federal funds.
New Roots Providence is a program of The Providence Plan that provides support to community organizations working to improve life for people in Rhode Island. Since 2005, New Roots has helped hundreds of organizations in Rhode Island to build the capacity, skills, and resources that turn passion and ideas into action. The Providence American had the opportunity to talk with Nzinga Misgana, Executive Director of New Roots Providence for an update on the organizations activities.
PA: Thank you Nzinga for this opportunity for an update on New Roots activities. What is New Roots Providence doing in these tough economic times?
NM: New Roots Providence is working to improve life in Providence and in neighborhoods around the state. New Roots Providence continues the work it started in 2005 however we have expanded our services statewide. Our Mission Statement that appears on our web site at www.newrootsprovidence.org addresses our continued focus on organizations that are either Faith or Community based and serves the greater good of the community.
NEW ROOTS MISSION STATEMENT (Edited for spacing only): New Roots Providence gives faith and community organizations the support they need to sustain their work and strengthen their communities. We do this by providing high-quality training and technical assistance, and by encouraging communication among organizations, helping them work together to provide quality services and create lasting change. We target groups with smaller budgets that work with one or more of the following groups:
Children of men and women who are in prison; People returning to the community from prison; Youth in danger of involvement with violence or gang activity; People moving from welfare to work; Elders in need; the Homeless; and People in need of extensive rehabilitation, such as prisoners or people addicted to alcohol or other substances.
PA: How is New roots governed?
NM: We have an Advisory Board made up of volunteers from around the state. Our Advisory Board provides the direction and policy directives of the organization. We work as a team with our Advisory Board and hold each other accountable for the services and assistance New Roots provides. We ensure the same level of accountability exist within New Roots Providence as we expect from our clients.
PA: Who are your clients and how many do you have?
NM: We provide assistance to faith and community based organizations by providing Training, Grants, Technical Assistance and skills training for Communities Empowering Youth (CEY). Our clients number in the hundreds and have been the beneficiaries of grants totaling in excess of $785,000.; to about 60 organizations since 2005. The new funding that was just announced will allow us to make grants in excess of $500,000., to some 39 grantees or so.
PA: How does an organization obtain your assistance?
NM: Applicants simply provide New Roots with information about the organization for an in-house assessment. The assessment results and feedback become the basis for further negotiations between the grantee and New Roots. A work plan is developed with New Roots complete with thresholds for tracking the grantees progress as well as maintaining a sense of accountability between the parties. The key is that the organization must be a faith or community based organization whose goal is to build or increase capacity and organizational strength. As our web site indicates we offer organizations free training in varies skills sets such as Adaptive Supervisor; Clarifying Mission, Vision and Purpose; Fund Development: Basic Principles & Best Practice; Financial Management; Grant writing and Proposal Writing; and Program Design & Development.
PA: How large is the staff?
NM: The staffing for New Roots consists of Monsurat Ottun, Sabina Matos, Bernadette Tavares and myself, as well as other consults on an as needed basis.
PA: Nzinga thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to talk with us and to provide the readers of The Providence American the opportunity to catch up and celebrate with you in your recent funding achievement. Is there any final comment that you might like to leave with our readers?
NM: Yes. Our goal is to work with faith and community based organizations that have their fingers on the pulse of the people they serve; as it is often those organizations that need the type of assistance we offer the most. It is those organizations that we like to help build capacity so that they can continue to provide the services and programs that they do, and so we are here to serve.
PA: Again Nzinga thank you and congratulations to you and your colleagues.