Employer In Partnership With Local Non-Profit Wins Award

East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP) is celebrating its community partner, Silver Creek Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, located in Bristol, RI, for winning a “Champion of New Hires” citation from the Providence Mayor’s Office and United Way of Rhode Island. The award, through a state-wide competition, recognizes partnerships between local employers and adult education agencies. EBCAP nominated Silver Creek Manor for the award “to honor the unique partnership that has developed between the two agencies, and the level of commitment and compassion with which Silver Creek supports EBCAP’s adult learners,” said Rita Capotosto, Vice President of Family Development.

“Our relationship with Silver Creek Manor is critical to launching our adult learners into healthcare careers. What we most value is the attention and concern they show to each trainee. From nursing to human resources, everyone delivers the same message: ‘We’re happy you’re here! What do you need to do well?’” said Elizabeth McDowell, Director of EBCAP’s Education & Career Pathways team. She coordinates a mix of resources to vet, prepare, and support trainees - from bus passes and scrubs to tutoring or case management services.

“We approach our work holistically—we want both happy, healthy residents and thriving employees. When you look at our C.N.A. workers, we have a lot of single mothers. Single parenting is hard work, and so is nursing. We take extra steps—creative scheduling, multi-leveled opportunities, such as our Unit Assistant role, and working with EBCAP for wrap-around services—to make sure they can be successful,” says Silver Creek Manor’s Administrator Kimberly Ciociola.

Capotosto believes that a unique aspect of EBCAP’s educational programming is the students’ ability to “seamlessly access EBCAP’s extensive array of health and social services such as food pantries, child care, mental health counseling, recovery supports, etc. which promote their ability to focus on and persevere in their training and build upon the strengths they already have. With limited government funding available to support the life-long learning and vocational needs of adults and youth, EBCAP is developing additional creative partnerships in the East Bay area to continue this important work to strengthen families and our communities."

East Bay Community Action Program is a private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation that provides a wide array of health and human services to the residents of Rhode Island’s East Bay, including the municipalities of East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Little Compton, Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, and Jamestown. For more information regarding services and to learn how you too can Support the CAP which supports the East Bay Community, please visit ebcap.org