Cranston’s Central Library invites participants to pick their favorite poem and read it on April 9 at the library in honor of National Poetry month; there will be a favorite poem reading at 2 p.m. Individuals can bring a favorite poem that has special significance to them and explain what it means to them.
Free and open to the public. Visit the library website for more information or to register.

Visit the Easter Bunny & Hunt for Eggs

The City of Cranston Parks and Recreation will have the egg hunt again this year on April 9 at Cooney Field (field next to Bain). In the event of inclement weather, the event will be inside the Pastore Youth Center. There are designated times, which are based on age.
Age group “Taking steps” to Pre-K will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Age group K through 2nd grade will be from 11:30 am to 12:30 p.m.
The Easter Bunny plans to visit and photo opportunities will be available. Be sure to bring your camera. There will also be several Easter Baskets to be won.

Community Night at the Senior Center

A Community Health Celebration Night will be held on Tuesday, March 29 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center. The public is invited, free of charge, to join them for this event featuring local community agencies focused on healthy living for your whole family. Light refreshments will be served. Raffle prizes, kid’s crafts, giveaways, music and more!

Who doesn’t love a hearty dinner of pasta and meatballs, good friends and good times?

Take the family out and spend an evening with them. Dinner includes their signature pasta and meatballs, garlic bread, salad and dessert! They will have music, a photo booth and awesome raffles!

NAMI-RI: Free Virtual Family-To-Family course begins April 13

The Rhode Island chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is now accepting registration for their Spring 2022 virtual Family-to-Family course which begins on April 13. This is a free, eight-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program, which means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.
NAMI-Rhode Island's Family-to-Family course is taught by trained family members who have lived experience with a loved one, and includes presentations, discussions and interactive exercises.
For more information on the Family-to-Family curriculum and registration requirements, visit namirhodeisland.org or call 401-331-3060 or email beth@namirhodeisland.org.

Rotary Club of Cranston to hold Touch a Truck

Save the date! The Cranston Rotary Club will hold its Spring Touch a Truck event on May 22 at Garden City Center. More details to follow. Interested in bringing your vehicle? Email the organization at CranstonRotaryClub@gmail.com.

Citizen’s Police Academy to be held

Are you interested in learning about law enforcement? If you answered "yes," then Cranston’s Police Citizens' Academy may be for you.

The CPD Training Division will provide this unique opportunity to a limited number of people. If accepted, you will take part in classroom presentations and have the chance to participate in police scenario training. Through these experiences and classroom conversations, you will gain a better understanding of law enforcement.

To be considered, you must be at least 18 years old and must complete the electronic registration form. Upon completion, you will be contacted by a member of the Cranston Police Training Division.

This 10-week program will meet on Wednesday nights 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from April 13 to June 15.

Registrations close April 1. It is free to all. Must be 18 years or older. This program is a hand on learning experience about the inner workings of the Police Dept. Topics include Patrol Functions, Detectives, BCI, Firearms, K-9 and more: Apply now at www.Cranstonpoliceri.com For more information contact Officer Mike Janson at 477-5155 or email mjanson@cranstonpoliceri.com.

Volunteers Needed

Operation Stand Down Rhode Island is requesting volunteers to help for the 2022 Boots on the Ground for Heroes Memorial. Volunteers are needed for set up, weekend of help and breakdown. Set up days are as followed: May 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; May 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; May 26, 9 a.m. to noon; May 27, 9 a.m. to noon and noon to 4 p.m. If you are a corporate office or company who is interested in volunteering, each person volunteering needs to sign up through the OSDRI online registration. If your company sends out an internal volunteering portal, you will still need to sign up with OSDRI at our online portal as well. This helps us correctly account for how many people are attending to help. Set up will be at Fort Adams in Newport. Set up duties consist of getting out boots, cleaning up/shining boots, lacing boots, lining up boots on a predesigned grid, cleaning the boots off, attaching name placards, stuffing boots and placing out American flags. Volunteers should be physically able to bend down/walk.

We will also need volunteers for the actual event itself. Volunteers to assist with band setup/breakdown, parking in the main lot, assisting at both the entrance and at the exit of the fort and other miscellaneous duties. We are looking for two to four people to fill each volunteer shift. The following shifts are available: May 28, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; May 29, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; May 30, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Break down will be on May 31 at 8 a.m. Break down duties consist of picking up boots, storing boots, picking up tag chains, picking up American Flags and other miscellaneous duties. This is also a labor-intensive activity which needs volunteer assistance. Please consider signing up for this activity as well as it is just as important as set up. If anyone is interested in volunteering, they must sign up through the link: https://osdri.charityproud. org/Volunteer Registration/ Index/3308. Please be advised that you need to move the calendar to May 2022 in order to view the details. Questions or concerns can be directed to Amanda Driscoll at adriscoll@osdri.org or 401.383.4730.

Bring on the percussion

Cranston’s Combined Percussion Band competition will be on April 2 at Cranston East gym at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 public, $8 students.
Schools performing along with Cranston Combined are Bishop Hendricken, Bishop Feehan, Dartmouth high school; a 30-minute percussion clinic after their performance. Haven Brothers setting up a truck for cooked food right outside the doors.

Walk and Talk at Rocky Point

Come join the “Rocky Point Pacers” for a walk around Rocky Point every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9 a.m., weather permitting. They meet at the gate on Rocky Point Avenue. Get some sunshine and burn off some holiday pounds.

Prepare RI High School Internships Program

Calling all RI public high school juniors: The 2022 PrepareRI High school Internship Program is accepting applications to participate in on-site/in-person, paid summer experiential learning internships with local employers across the state.

This program will help you earn, learn and connect with employers across Rhode Island. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Visit https://skillsforri.com/prepareri for more information.

Consider donating blood

The Rhode Island Blood Center is in need of blood. Individuals wishing to donate must book an appointment at the donation center; walk-ins are only accepted if safe distancing allows at the person’s time of arrival.

Nearby areas to donate include The Shops at Greenwood, which is located at 615 Greenwich Ave., in Warwick. Sign up by visiting www.ribc.org.

Arts Scholarships for youth now open to register
Do you know a student aged 11 - 14 who loves to create and to perform? Encourage them to apply to our ARTS Scholarships 2022 program. Applications and guidelines are now available at ppacri.org/artsscholarships.

The ARTS Scholarships 2022 program, sponsored by the Textron Charitable Trust and the PPAC Annual Fund with support from WPRI 12 and Ocean State Charities Trust, offers young artists an opportunity to participate in local summer arts education program that will broaden their experience in their chosen area of study.
Qualified students must be aged 11 - 14 by June 1 of this year and reside in and attend school in Rhode Island.

Did you know

The White House Easter Egg Roll originally dates back to 1878 and the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes, but firsthand accounts suggest that informal festivities began with egg rolling parties under President Abraham Lincoln. (Source Easter Bunny Fun Facts)
To submit your news from the community, email Meri R. Kennedy at CranstonChatter@aol.com. This includes virtual events, which should be submitted two to three weeks ahead of the event. Photos in jpg format are accepted and news can include community events, promotions, academic news and nonprofit events. Email today and see your news in our column in the Cranston Herald.