Like many of our non-profit peers, partners, and providers, Family Service of Rhode Island, came face to face with a harsh reality earlier this week with respect to the recent federal aid freeze issued by the White House. While this freeze has since been rescinded, it was a stark reminder of just how fragile some of our funding streams are for the essential services thousands of people in our community depend on.
We are turning to you—our donors, partners, and friends—to help us bridge the gap and ensure that vulnerable children, the LGBTQ+ community, veterans and young working families have the support they need to thrive even in the face of future instability or unreliability in federal aid sources.
Family Service of Rhode Island exists to serve those most at risk—like parents working tirelessly to provide for their children and struggling to find stability, or teens seeking a safe place to turn and many more. These are human lives, not statistics or figures on a balance sheet. They are our neighbors and given the collective actions and rhetoric exhibited in the initial days of this new White House administration, they are facing a whole new level of uncertainty and fear.
Our mission—to advance equity, opportunity, and hope—stands in stark contrast to policies and platforms that threaten the well-being of the very people we serve. Yet, while policy is at the forefront of everyone’s minds with these recent federal actions, we must persist in keeping the people we serve front and center.
This is a wake-up call. The need is urgent, and we cannot do this alone. Your support today can mean the difference between stability and crisis for families in Rhode Island.
Please, stand with us. Donate today to help us ensure stability and continuity of this critical work.
With gratitude,
Margaret Holland McDuff
Chief Executive Officer
Family Service of Rhode Island
