 Service Bridge to Work Addressing the need for a way to transition welfare recipients to financial independence through gainful employment, Serve Rhode Island has launched Service Bridge to Work, creating a transitional “bridge” for adults with little or no work experience to become work-ready, and to successfully compete in the job market. Over the next year, thousands of RI adults will lose cash assistance due to a new Rhode Island law limiting TANF assistance to 24 consecutive months, and a total of 48 months over a person’s lifetime, and requiring cash recipients to actively search for work. Rhode Island’s high unemployment rate will make the transition of many of the cash recipients into employment extremely difficult. RI Works’ rules, however, allow for voluntary community service to count toward the work requirement. Serve Rhode Island is partnering with RI Works to open up community service opportunities in 45 non-profit agencies for 350 RI Works Clients who cannot find unsubsidized employment. In addition, VCRI will recruit and place 40 volunteer leaders who provide weekly individual and group supervision at host agencies, and the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership will assist in recruiting and training 175 mentors to support the RI Works clients during their community service work and after job placement. The Volunteer Center at Serve Rhode Island is interested in identifying candidates for these intensive volunteering opportunities If you would be interested in serving as either a volunteer leader or a mentor, please contact Janice Pothier Pac, Director, Volunteer Center at Serve Rhode Island, Serve Rhode Island has issued an new report on volunteering in Rhode Island. Based on surveys of 310 RI non-profit agencies and 245 volunteers conducted last July and August by VCRI and Serve Rhode Island, the report indicates the need for 27,000 volunteers across a spectrum of types of jobs and organizations. See executive summary and full report at www.serverhodeisland.org.
 
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