Feinstein Supports And Encourages Good Deeds In Woonsocket Education

The Woonsocket Education Department and education in general has a great friend in Allen Shawn Feinstein.  Mr. Feinstein is a nationally known philanthropist and humanitarian.  On a local level, I have gotten to know Mr. Feinstein very well during the last 15 years that I have been an administrator.  Many times he has visited our schools and spent time talking with our students.

In preparing to write this column, I found the website for the Feinstein Foundation.  The Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation was founded in 1991 and is dedicated to the alleviation of hunger, the importance of community service in education and the values of caring, compassion and brotherhood. 

Even though I knew of Mr. Feinstein's work with students, I did not know the whole story behind the man.  I learned a lot more about Mr. Feinstein by reading a section on the website titled "The Man With 100,000 children, the life story of Allen Shawn Feinstein."  I won't tell you the details, but I did learn from his life story how he became such a compassionate and giving man, and why hunger and education are so important to him.

Mr. Feinstien has education programs that affect students from Pre-Kindergarten through college. The elementary program is called "I Can Make A Difference Program." Over 100,000 elementary students in 270 Rhode Island elementary schools have participated in the Feinstein good deeds program. Students are encouraged to do good deeds and other acts of kindness that make a positive difference in the lives of others.  In addition, teachers in Feinstein Leadership schools have the opportunity to apply for grants for projects they undertake with their classes to help better their communities. 

Currently, 117 public and parochial schools in Rhode island are recognized as Feinstein Leadership Schools.  My children in Seekonk, MA attend a Feinstein elementary school, so I am personally aware that his reach extends beyond Rhode Island. He has even supported schools internationally.

The middle school program is called the "Youth Hunger Brigade."  Many middle schools have raised money and collected canned food to help the food partnership in their area and support the Rhode Island Food Bank.  A resource guide for teachers provides information so that Feinstein Junior Scholars will learn the causes and effects of hunger and get excited about taking action to address these issues in their own community.  

At the high school level, forty-three Rhode Island public and private schools have each been awarded grants from $20,000 to $25,000.   These grants are provided to establish community service learning programs as a part of the school's curriculum. Participating students study the needs of their communities and perform community service supporting a graduation requirement.  Eighteen of these high schools were awarded separate grants of $25,000 to establish a student philanthropy program. A student board of directors reviewed requests from community agencies and awarded the grants.  In addition, the Feinstein Foundation provides scholarship opportunities.  The Lillian Feinstein Memorial Scholarship Fund and Feinstein Leadership Scholarships are available for Rhode Island Private and public colleges and universities.  

The primary impetus for this column was that I got a call from Mr. Feinstein last week asking me to relay a thank you message to the students at the for their recent newsletter and the update on their good deeds.  The students at Pothier collected food for the needy on behalf of Mr. Feinstein’s campaign against hunger.  Also, the Feinstein Junior Scholars at Pothier donated over 200,000 soda can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House in Providence. 

My secondary reason for writing this column was that my principals began sending me their spring newsletters.  In Woonsocket, our eight elementary schools and our middle schools are Feinstein Scholar Schools.  I thought it might be nice to attach some of the school newsletters to this article so that we can get the word out about the many good deeds our students are doing.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Gerardi, Jr., Ph.D.                         

Superintendent of Schools                             

Woonsocket Education Department  

"Helping to better the lives of others, regardless of race, creed or color, is the greatest of all achievements."

Allen Shawn Feinstein