Community Spotlight: Providence College

As part of a project, these students from Providence College created a series of events to fundraise for Crossroads and the thousands of Rhode Islanders we serve. Among those events included a trivia night at Narragansett Brewery and a collaboration with Troop to donate partial proceeds to Crossroads.

Learn more about their efforts below.

Why did you choose to support Crossroads through your fundraiser?

We wanted to partner with an organization that we knew was going to make a direct impact on the community, and that partner was Crossroads. Through their testimonials and stories, you see the good they do that directly impacts individuals and families in Providence. Homelessness is such a pervasive problem and Crossroads has a compassionate and practical approach that helps people find homes and raises awareness within the community.

In what ways did Crossroads help support you in putting together your fundraiser?

After initially reaching out to Crossroads about the potential partnership, they got back to us quickly and we had an informational meeting scheduled within the week. We had direct support from Ric, Crossroads' Community Outreach & Volunteer Manager, who was always available to help us to brainstorm ideas and get feedback. Crossroads was incredibly responsive and easy to work with, supporting us however we needed it. Ric even attended and spoke at our main event which made it even more impactful.

What was the most fun or meaningful part of your fundraiser?

Our team is comprised of four students from Providence College, so working with Crossroads helped to open our eyes to the realities that many in our community are facing. This fundraiser made us feel much more connected to the Providence community and like we could actually help to make a difference. In addition to knowing we were helping such a meaningful organization, we were able to connect with local, community-oriented vendors that graciously hosted our fundraisers. We also had a lot of fun while doing it!

What impact do you hope your support will have in the community?

This project that we were working on is one that is done every year by different classes. We are hoping that by raising awareness of the work that Crossroads does within the Providence College community we will be able to keep this partnership going for many years to come. It is also important for the students at Providence College to see the realities that many people are facing in our local community to help deepen the connection between the college and the city. We hope that the PC/Crossroads partnership will be able to help a lot of people in the future.

What advice would you give to others thinking about hosting their own fundraiser in support of Crossroads?

Do it! Working with Crossroads was incredibly rewarding to know that we are helping to raise funds that would help people in our community to find homes. They allowed us to be as creative as we wanted with our ideas and supported us through the whole process. Having this freedom to think of fun events that would raise funds was so helpful and made the whole process much more creative, there are so many potential events that could support and raise awareness for the mission of Crossroads. Crossroads is an amazing organization to work with and they are doing wonderful things for the Providence community.

Interested in hosting your own fundraiser for Crossroads? Click here to get started.