Amos House President and CEO Eileen Hayes. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News
By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
A groundbreaking on the South Side of Providence Monday as Amos House expands its well-known soup kitchen and other activities in a larger, $6 million building project.
The new building is going up directly behind its Pine Street headquarters, which the agency has outgrown, said President and CEO Eileen Hayes.
“This building, that’s been built in 1983… we have no air conditioning in the summer, no heat in the winter, it’s time for a fresh look and for just an ability to provide more consistent services with dignity and respect for all of the men and women who come to us,” Hayes said.
“We serve anywhere between 500 and 800 meals a day, and we provide services to help people move from homeless to housed, from unemployed to employed and from lack of opportunity to opportunities.
“We serve about 15,000 people a year here, and it’s an amazing day for the community today, because this is a community center,” Hayes said.
“There’s a debate going around in the country about the role of government in helping people,” said Governor Lincoln Chafee
“We’re here to celebrate the role of government in helping our most needy citizens, and we have a great history in Rhode Island of always doing that,” Chafee said.
“It’s very important,” said Providence mayor -elect Jorge Elorza about the new facility for Amos House.
“You know, I have a background in housing, I was a Housing Court judge, a housing attorney and professor. I know that it all begins with stable housing, and we want to get folks on their feet. It’s about making sure we provide a stable home for everyone,” said Elorza.
“I’m very excited, I’m very hopeful for what this is going to mean for the neighborhood and the community,” he said.
