Click or call for help: AccessJewishRI.org is here

Two years ago, our community was shocked by a Brandeis University study, “Living on the Edge: Economic Insecurity among Jewish Households in Rhode Island,” commissioned by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island with support from the Hassenfeld family. The study found that half of Jewish households in the Alliance’s community face economic troubles.

 The Living on the Edge (LOE) initiative, born of that study, has brought together Alliance staff, leaders, partner agencies Jewish Family Service (JFS) and Jewish Seniors Agency (JSA), and area synagogues. Co-chairs Susan Leach DeBlasio and Alan Hassenfeld are leading the effort to help community members, whether financially vulnerable, in need of social services, or in need of information about Jewish Rhode Island.

Say hello to AccessJewishRI.org, an information and referral website debuting today. And this is more than a website; there’s a free confidential phone line offering personalized assistance to those who do not use a computer or who can’t find what they are looking for online.

“We think of ourselves as a warm hug on the other end of the phone,” says Kara Marziali, director of communications at the Alliance.

Dick Silverman, chair of the AccessJewishRI.org committee, said, “Many of us learned through the Living on the Edge study that there were too many in our Jewish community who are economically insecure. The new website, developed as a result of the LOE study and recommendations, is a valuable resource through which information and referral can be accessed for those seeking assistance.”

The site includes a database of services in the areas of employment, health and wellness, housing, nutrition and food assistance, and Jewish life, and other needs including childcare, counseling and transportation.

“It’s one way our Alliance and partner agencies and synagogues are reaching out,” said DeBlasio, “to those moving into greater Rhode Island, those seeking engagement and affiliation within the Jewish community, and those experiencing a need for a little extra help in making ends meet to facilitate access to all of our available resources. Help is just a click or a phone call away.”

Staff are available to help navigate the many resources available.

There is also a vocational navigator to help with résumés and direct those who are looking for jobs. And there’s a volunteer coordinator to match volunteers with opportunities that fit their skills.

The site will also have a directory of Jewish services. Each one was researched by the committee though they are not endorsed by the Alliance or their partners.

Additionally, the site provides an access point to government, social and healthcare services in the greater Rhode Island area beyond the Jewish community.

The categories are color-coded to help with navigation. The color palette includes bright, cheery colors to welcome and ease stressed visitors, says Marziali. And the logo, a key, was designed to symbolize doors opening to community opportunities and resources that someone in need might not otherwise be aware of.

For those who want human contact, a phone line is staffed Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 401-421-4111, ext. 411.

“We hope that those in need of resources will be better able to identify what is available to them using the portal,” Patty Harwood, LICSW, director of Older Adult and Community Services at JFS, said of the website. “Those who need more personalized assessment and guidance will be directed to call the appropriate point person in the Jewish community for assistance.”

The site is still evolving – the committee plans to address community needs as they crop up. Marziali said committee members have already made many excellent suggestions to enhance the site with subcategories. 

 “AccessJewishRI.org will be a simple and engaging way to find information most relevant to one’s own needs and interests,” says Wendy Joering, Alliance community concierge. “Whether for elder-care issues, health assistance, foreclosure, parenting resources or Jewish life, it will help individuals access what they need, when they need it.”

Editor’s note: Even without a computer, you can access the services of AccessJewishRI.org. Synagogues and agencies in the Rhode Island community will receive an information kit. Area rabbis can connect you to the AccessJewishRI.org services.