North Kingstown residents come together to talk and listen

More than four dozen people arrived at the Cold Spring Community Center as strangers last week, but left newly connected after talking and listening over dinner about the opportunities they think are important to the community.

The get-together was at the heart “TogetherRI,” a new initiative from the Rhode Island Foundation designed to get people talking face-to-face again in a time when interactions over social media are becoming increasingly coarse and divisive.

“We gave them a place to listen, reconnect and inspire civil dialogue at a time when people are more ‘connected’ via social media, yet more disconnected from each other personally than ever,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “Our hope is everyone met someone new and left knowing their voice was heard.”

“This was an opportunity for everyone – no matter what neighborhood they live in or what they care about – to come together to strengthen social connections, to be heard, to discuss opportunities and challenges and to strengthen the foundation of their community,” said Steinberg.

An independent, professional facilitator guided the session, which was the twelfth of 20 the Foundation will stage across Rhode Island. The University of Rhode Island’s Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy will analyze the information shared during the events and from brief, anonymous, participant surveys. The Foundation expects to announce the top line results at its annual meeting May 24 and to release a complete report this summer.

“We are compiling all of the so-far-very-constructive feedback. The questions discussed around the table at these events are focused on Rhode Island’s strengths, Rhode Island’s opportunities and top issues in the community,” Steinberg said.

For people who missed the North Kingstown dinner, a get-together is also scheduled in East Greenwich at the Varnum Memorial Armory, 6 Main St., May 1 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The full schedule of events is posted on togetherri.org.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised $38 million and awarded $43 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities in 2017. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.