[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6643045,"mediaKeyId","2532615-9716ff190ad50821e09804775b1fcbd7","parentId",2532615,"title","John Rollins Recreation Center highlights food programs, mentorship and facility needs","audioSeconds",2613,"startMs",1486000,"endMs",4099000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2532615-9716ff190ad50821e09804775b1fcbd7&start=1486&end=4099","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2532615-9716ff190ad50821e09804775b1fcbd7/thumbnail_1486000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6643045/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/John-Rollins-Recreation-Center-highlights-food-programs-mentorship-and-facility-needs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643045-f08efb32ff87506d4badd418d0ba84ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1776625105&Signature=OnjfYfXhfu3oNAbRpxmxt-xfD97U6~d8iZ2ZENYolwxfoZxOpHtKZ018r12u6dFHih8Unq6h1cCIAIagq4jaz9B9zYxeSVw~rxFgFT0rYgNqozw1jwzrZbDtx~Ht-ksGtdZNz-krpeuq4zflLtiFD0g0r9k2Y2d43MMNhFJH~XfnDWTmiZ8GWrzK91TKlRFURi0mWfrUSv~K-g1k~fZCTZgmOtsglHdKWO3kOy--tTrXe04qPFk0pZ0Qiamfr4L~Azx2VFCtV8vjBrBSWgEVoXqnUNSJC99RIFBYi4US7bDxbJ88W4qVwtp2INQdtUQZ3MqD3ePv4Og8QNM5RqjegQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Providence City Council","date","2025-03-11T00:21:03.173Z","article","John Rollins Recreation Center director Nasha told the Providence Recreational Advisory Board on March 10 that the center has expanded after‑school programming and is addressing food insecurity, mentorship and facilities maintenance at the South Providence site.

The center provides meals to children who attend after school, Nasha said: “So when the kids come directly after school, we give them dinner, even though it's considered a snack. And then around 05:00, 5 30, they get another meal. So we feed them twice.” She described an after‑school program tied to Young Woods Elementary School and year‑round offerings ranging from basketball and soccer to art, garden club and mentorship programs.

Those programs, Nasha said, support both boys and girls; she said a focused effort to increase female participation has produced larger girls’ programs, and she described a boys’ mentorship program that “mirrors our girls' programming so that they feel special too.” The center runs an arts club, garden club and partnerships with local schools and organizations including the Wheeler School to provide additional academic and garden plot access for students.

Why it matters: board members said the center reaches hundreds of children and the programs aim to offer alternatives to street activity during high‑risk months. Nasha and department staff argued that services such as meals, mentorship and modest enrichment activities address immediate community needs where grocery access is limited.

Facility and maintenance issues were a repeated concern. Nasha reported leaking ceilings in the community room and gym, aging gym padding with rodent damage and nonfunctional bleacher mechanisms. She said the center lacks computers for homework support and that lockers included in a 2018 budget line were never installed. Steven Grace, director of recreation, said some items — including an HVAC replacement and gym padding and bleacher repairs — are “on a docket” and are being addressed by capital or facilities teams. He and board members said roof and site drainage problems complicate repairs because the building shares infrastructure with an adjacent school.

On pest control, Grace said the department contracts with a pest vendor and has worked to coordinate schedules with the school department’s contractor to reduce gaps that allowed rodents to move between facilities. He described the problem as citywide but said the department has a vendor who responds and that coordination with the Providence Public School Department has improved scheduling.

Nasha described local responses to food insecurity, including center staff cooking and distributing hot food in nearby neighborhoods, connections with the Rhode Island Food Bank to establish a local pantry, and use of community garden plots managed by a local organizer (identified in the meeting as Archie Johnson). She estimated 12–18 regular participants in the garden program, with participation growing in warmer months as more raised beds are added.

Board members and staff noted membership tracking as a performance tool: Grace said the center had 224 residents signed up in the department system and that the gender breakdown reported from that subset showed about 27.68% female participation. Board members said that membership data helped them plan programming and staffing.

The board praised Nasha’s efforts to expand programs and engage community partners. Chair Simon and others encouraged using the center’s volunteer and partnership work to leverage limited city resources while repairs and capital projects proceed.

Looking ahead, staff said technology upgrades for homework support will likely be pursued through grants and that capital projects for roof, HVAC and gym repairs are in the city’s planning pipeline, though timelines were not specified.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Providence Recreational Advisory Board-Monday, March 10, 2025-6:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","John Rollins Recreation Center director Nasha told the Providence Recreational Advisory Board on March 10 that the center has expanded after‑school programming and is addressing food insecurity, mentorship and facilities maintenance at the South Providence site.","taxTitle","Providence City, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",3637,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6643041,"Providence recreation leaders signal tight FY26 outlook; department lists priorities and cost‑savings moves",4040,4047000,6941,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2532615-9716ff190ad50821e09804775b1fcbd7&start=4047&end=6","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2532615-9716ff190ad50821e09804775b1fcbd7/thumbnail_4047000.jpg","/articles/6643041/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Providence-recreation-leaders-signal-tight-FY26-outlook-department-lists-priorities-and-costsavings-moves","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643041-efd53fe319268108302f84a285b068b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1776625105&Signature=WMyPuIGMzyCdNtXkPrqHkzMl41XuUllz1C4jsXi6-VwBBEqqIGkDkZRNQfFVXceI5UAbDpDy~UUw9plYQDi7Bc8~hDvN5~lyS7iGJvcDRtMVFHxs2yo5IBW3xkkmlrHs-xAFhjs~KT-XXZKsnJm-yo9J--cEdEffkuKpgzXoJpZYpEBgWJBB8T8h3qI9rzM98o4swTFE6KG3CyuLIdtw4jHgRMY05duZX4MFL3jp56a~Na3RJS7dfbwh1uGMPIZ8aA-OO8UZ1aYpY3-q9YkPQttLg67MJsY6wGaBEcIuFLfUHZxgN3yjYA1d5Muddpr8WG80gjLtABnCZbNjRYJi5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Providence Recreation Director Steven Grace briefed the Providence Recreational Advisory Board on March 10 about the department’s current fiscal position, priorities for fiscal‑year planning and steps being taken to stretch limited resources.

Grace summarized two recreation budget categories: the regular operating account (‘‘601’’) used for ongoing programming and maintenance and a seasonal/temporary staff account used primarily to support summer operations. He said the regular account is roughly $3.5 million and that program expense — the line that pays for summer camps, program partners and supplies — is a key item the department tries to preserve.

Grace said the department received a modest $50,000 increase in the most recent budget cycle to support two programs but warned that a citywide settlement with the school department has tightened available funds across municipal departments. He said an earlier infusion of ARPA funds had supported seasonal staff in prior years, but that contribution is ending and the department will have to manage at a lower seasonal staffing level going forward.

Why it matters: Grace and board members said cuts to seasonal or temporary staff would affect the department’s ability to run expanded spring and fall programming and to maintain safe staff‑to‑child ratios in large after‑school and summer settings. Grace said higher‑skill temporary positions that handle data, reporting and program management are especially at risk.

To prepare for constrained revenues, the department described four priority areas: protect program expense where possible, maximize external funding and sponsorships, audit and professionalize the temporary staff line, and increase center‑level revenue through rentals, merchandise and fundraising. Specific measures under way include building a vetted volunteer roster, automating administrative processes to reduce personnel time, implementing an event manager to shift rental staffing costs into rental fees, and establishing individual recreation center support funds to track local revenue and spending.

Grace said the department is also starting a seasonal staff audit and attendance‑based staffing projections so staffing needs more accurately match program demand. He said some staffing and data roles had been funded recently as temporary positions (for example, the staff member compiling membership demographics), and those positions are vulnerable if one‑time funds are removed.

Board members suggested revenue ideas including sponsorships, a citywide fundraising calendar, a hall‑of‑fame banquet, and city‑wide merchandise sales; Grace said staff are working with the city controller and treasury on the procedures required to sell merchandise and accept donations. He also noted that capital repairs — including roof, drainage and HVAC work at several centers — are handled through separate capital or public‑property processes and may be funded by bonds or capital improvement funds rather than the recreation operating budget.

On the timeline, the board said it will revisit priorities before the mayor’s budget address in mid‑April and expects a fuller budget to follow. Grace said the department will continue to pursue grants and other external funders to support technology upgrades for homework support and other program needs.

The meeting concluded with no formal budget votes; members asked staff to continue planning and to return with updated projections and grant‑seeking efforts ahead of the mayor’s budget release.

","Providence Recreation Director Steven Grace briefed the Providence Recreational Advisory Board on March 10 about the department’s current fiscal position, priorities for fiscal‑year planning and steps being taken to stretch limited resources.","actionData","errors"]

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John Rollins Recreation Center highlights food programs, mentorship and facility needs

Providence recreation leaders signal tight FY26 outlook; department lists priorities and cost‑savings moves