Community Action Plan for a Healthier Olneyville Plan developed September 2011 By members of the Community Action Team Updated November 2012
Community Action Team Members
Johanna Walczak, CAT coordinator Chris Ackley Angela Ankoma Alexandra Bicki Bridget Dignan Perry Gast Abelardo Hernandez Maria Hernandez Alicia Lehrer Sarah Lester Katie Medina Virginia Morgan Rosa Pastor Mia Patriarca O’Flaherty Siobhan Sturdahl Carinel Ramirez Amelia Rose Melissa Walsh
Olneyville Housing Corporation Olneyville Housing Corporation RI Department of Health Clinica Esperanza / Hope Clinic Olneyville Housing Corporation RI Department of Health Resident Resident Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council Farm Fresh Rhode Island Olneyville Health Center Resident Resident RI Department of Health YMCA of Greater Providence Providence Housing Authority Environmental Justice League of RI YMCA of Greater Providence
Neighborhood Design Goal: Clean up garbage, litter, and broken glass Strategy
Champion
other Key Partners
Expand the efforts of the River Rangers and the Stewardship Program Manager/One Olneyville Team in doing trash cleanups, graffiti removal, and maintenance of parks, bike path, and public/open spaces WRWC, OHC Get the City to empty municipal trash cans more often (and train residents on how to advocate for that)
OHC, Ward 15 Councilwoman
Existing Opportunities and Resources
Received a CDBG grant for the One Olneyville initiative 2012
Department of Public Works
Create new signage and murals (hire an artist to work with kids to not only complete the projects but also educate kids on importance of living responsibly and caring about their environment) WRWC
Organize large annual neighborhood cleanup (Olneyville Shines) and parks & river cleanup (Clean Day on the Greenway)
WRWC, OHC
Olneyville Collaborative members, businesses, corporate teams, civic groups, City of Providence sponsorships
Regular once a month litter cleanups organized by resident leaders
Residents
OHC can serve as a resource
Outcome / evaluation indicator
Time Frame
# days per month that trash cleanup / graffiti removal / park maintenance occurred; # youth hired; improve in quality of environment
Summer 2012 - launched One Olneyville Initiative in July
# residents trained in advocacy; amount of trash in Olneyville Square
Spring 2012
# signs created; # murals created; # artists involved; # youth residents involved
Spring/Summer 2012 created mural on Aleppo St.
# volunteers participated / # lbs trash collected # resident leaders who organize cleanups; # resident volunteers who participate in cleanups; # lbs trash collected
Ongoing/annual
launch Spring 2013
Physical Activity Goal: Increase opportunities for affordable, organized, year-round exercise for children, youth, and adults
Strategy
Champion
Continue and expand summer time weekly programming (i.e. biking, walking, yoga, basketball)
WRWC, YMCA, Joslin Rec, Manton Heights
Create a guide for physical activity programs in the neighborhood (update inventory of existing low cost/free programs and create a calendar of what is happening and when) paired with effective outreach & promotion
YMCA Youth Services
Develop Master Plan for Joslin Park and D’Abate Elementary School OHC (convener) Conduct survey of residents to find out what activities people want, what time of day, and if they want gender/age specific programs WRWC Provide winter time physical activity programs for adults and teens in existing spaces (then expand to spring and fall – eventually want year round programming) YMCA Integrate physical activity into existing community events, dinners, parties, programs, meetings, and the workplace etc. Olneyville Collaborative Increase visibility to bike path and the parks through the creation of “gateways” and more signage to lead people to the park and bike path WRWC
other Key Partners
Nickerson House Community Center, PASA fitness & sports program, Boys and Girls Club
Existing Opportunities and Resources WRWC summer rec programs; Woonasquatucket Greenway Bike Path; Joslin Rec Center; Nickerson House Community Center; YMCA summer programming in Joslin Park (Y on the Move) - could look into expanding into winter programs; Manton Heights walking club, PASA fitness/sports programs; PHA is doing zumba classes for adults + hip hop dance for kids
Outcome / evaluation indicator
# program participants
Summer 2012
# residents/stakeholders enaged through charettes
Spring 2013 Firm selected in March; Community charettes in April; Final Master Plan completed Fall 2012
YMCA implementation funding D’Abate School, Joslin Rec, Councilwoman Matos, the YMCA, LISC, KeepSpace, the Steel Yard KeepSpace Implementation funding, LISC funding, Gilbane Construction
YMCA
YMCA implementation funding
Joslin Rec, Nickerson House, Clinica Esperanza
Clinica Esperanza physical activity classes: currently running a Latin dance/exercise class on Wednesdays, also doing a program targeting Seniors in partnership with Nickerson; YMCA implementation funding;
Summer/Fall 2012
# of programs / # of participants
YMCA Physical Activity in the Workplace Guide DOT funding is covering cost of consultant to create a plan for the entire Greenway and implementation costs
Time Frame
Winter 2012/2013
Winter 2012/2013 # residents who know about Riverside Park and the bike path
2013
Nutrition Goal: Increase access to low-cost or free fruits and vegetables Strategy
Champion
Create easy distribution of low-cost produce through Fresh To Fresh To You, Farm Fresh You Mobile Market and Farm Fresh RI Veggie Box Rhode Island Create local access to low-cost farmers markets (promote Neutaconkanut Market, and open another market in Olneyville in future) Farm Fresh RI
other Key Partners
Providence Housing Authority, Clinica Esperanza
St. Teresa’s Food Pantry
OHC
Provide healthier snack options through the Healthy Corner Store Initiative'
EJLRI
D'Abate School PTO, City of Providence Healthy Communities Office
Model healthy foods by providing healthy snacks and meals at meetings and events (organizations make pledges)
Olneyville Collaborative
EJLRI, HEALTH
Create local access to FREE produce through food pantries
Existing Opportunities and Resources
Outcome / evaluation indicator
Time Frame
running Veggie Box Rx pilot program at Clinica Esperanza with KeepSpace implementation # of produce sold or # of $ spent at market Summer 2013 funding Fall 2012 Neutaconkanut Farm Fresh also runs Healthy Foods Healthy # of produce sold or # Market opened of $ spent at market Summer 2012 Families program at their markets St. Teresa's food pantry serves fresh produce every Monday and Friday (Olney Village Project will provide permanent home for the food pantry); Farm Fresh started a market-topantry program that delivers fresh produce to # residents served, # St. Teresa's food pantry food distributed
new permanent facility for food pantry will open Spring 2013
# stores participating in HCSI / # fruit cups sold Ongoing
Winter 2012/2013
Goal: Expand opportunities to grow your own food
Expand existing and increase number of community gardens (but first make sure existing spaces are well utilized)
OHC (Manton Garden), WRWC (Riverside Park Garden), Jairo Rosales (Templot Garden), PHA Southside Community Land (Hartford garden), D'Abate Trust/Providence Community (school garden) Growers Network
# gardeners, # plots, # Garden buildouts lb. produce grown Spring 2013
Promote and support home gardening/container gardening through launch and expansion of Olneyville Providence Community Growers Network Hub
OHC (MACG), WRWC (Riverside garden), Jairo Rosales (Templot Garden)
Southside Community Land Trust/Providence Community Growers Network
# PCGN members in Olneyville (home gardeners)
Olneyville Hub
Southside Community Land Trust/Providence Community Growers Network
Promote and support raising urban chickens
Create opportunities for gardeners to sell their produce in local Southside Community Land markets or CSAs Trust, Farm Fresh
# residents with chickens, # chickens in neighborhood, # eggs produced? # gardeners selling produce, # lbs produce sold, # income from selling produce
Olneyville Hub opened April 14, 2012
Spring 2013
Summer 2013
Safety Goal: Improve the condition and safety of streets & sidewalks (including preventing/discouraging speeding and reckless driving) Strategy
Champion
Implement traffic calming strategies in Olnevyille Square and Manton Avenue, including traffic lights, cross walks, signs OHC
Improve condition, layout, and safety of sidewalks/streets/intersections by incorporating complete streets concept into development plans and infrastructure projects
OHC
Establish Safe Routes to School program for neighborhood kids attending D'Abate Elementary
Angie/Dept. of Health and Virginia/D'Abate Parent Teacher Organization
other Key Partners Existing Opportunities and Resources
KeepSpace, Providence Planning Department, Providence Police Department (enforcement), City Council Reps, Urban Land Institute our City Council Reps, KeepSpace, Providence Planning Department, RI DOT, Coalition for Transportation Choices, Urban Land Institute
Outcome / evaluation indicator
Time Frame
DOT grant for traffic study of Olneyville Square; Icon Master Plan for neighborhood has specific suggestions for how to redirect the flow of traffic; Mayor Taveras selected Olneyville Square as the subject for the Urban Land Institute, which # of traffic accidents, # traffic violations brings in experts
traffic study of Olneyville Square conducted Fall 2012
DOT projects including Westminster St., Manton # streets conforming to "Complete Ave., and Route 6-10 interchange; RIPTA Manton Streets" (using indicators from the Ave. Corridor Project street audit checklist); # bike lanes
Completed a bike/walk street audit May 2012
# kids walking/biking to school
Bike rack installed at D'Abate May 2012; launch bike club in 2013
Goal: Improve safety by increasing efforts to address crime
Address perceptions of safety/crime by communicating decreases in crime OHC Launch a formal neighborhood watch group Continue and expand relationship building with youth, community and police through programs such as the Youth Police Initiative (YPI) Build community cohesion and help residents get to know one another through the Neighbor Circles community organizing model
OHC PHA, Police, Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence, YouthBuild, Lt. Isabella
OHC, Resident Leaders
Olneyville Collaborative, RI Olneyville Collaborative neighborhood LISC, Providence Police Department newsletter; e-news RI LISC, Providence Police Department
Rhode Island LISC
Lawrence CommunityWorks Neighbor Circles workshop materials & training
# residents who feel safe in the neighborhood
Ongoing
# crimes reported
Spring 2013
# youth participating in YPI # residents who feel safe in the neighborhood; # residents who feel community pride; etc.
Ongoing
Spring 2013
Health Care Goal: Provide people with help in navigating the health care and social service systems Strategy Create referral program in which doctors at Olneyville Health Center and Clinica Esperanza "prescribe" local nutrition and physical activity resources to their patients (i.e. Rx Veggies or walking club for diabetes patients) Connect Community Health Workers to Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN) resources & training and the Community Health Workers Association of Rhode Island (CHWARI)
Champion
other Key Partners
Existing Opportunities and Resources
Outcome / evaluation indicator
Time Frame
Clinica Esperanza
Navegantes program run by Clinica Esperanza; Farm Fresh RI
# patients served
Fall 2012 - implemented pilot Rx Veggie program at Clinica Esperanza in partnership with Farm Fresh RI
Mia (DOH), Olneyville Health Center, Clinica Esperanza Navegantes
Beth Lamarre (CHWARI/RIPIN)
# CHWs participating in RIPIN & CHWARI
ongoing