It's no secret that engagement in civic life in Woonsocket - from politics to public events to community organizing - is difficult. There are economic and social barriers to engagement, ongoing disenfranchisement, and so many closed-off cliques, we often find it difficult to make our voices heard.

Because this feeling is shared across many communities across Rhode Island, the RI Council for the Humanities carried out a massive data-gathering effort last year, and created the RI Civic Health Index to track and measure our communities' feelings of civic health. You can download a copy here.

Our Executive Director Alex had the pleasure of serving as one of the Community Partners that help with this effort. We're excited to be partnering with him, along with the WATCH Coalition, Silence is Violence: 401, the Milagros Project, and the RI Council for the Humanities to host a Community Meeting to gather, discuss, and reflect on the state of civic health and public engagement in Woonsocket. The meeting will be Sunday, April 2nd, 1-3pm, at 383 Arnold St in Woonsocket (The Milagros Project space). All are invited and encouraged to attend!

We're asking folks to register on this page so we know how much food to get. If you have any questions, email rebuildwoonsocket@gmail.com.