NEWPORT, R.I. - Students in the social work class of Mary Montminy-Danna welcomed Rhode Island Sen. M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-Newport) to their classroom this morning, where they presented her with hundreds of petitions in support of the homeless.
The Salve Regina students focused their class work this semester on the issue of ending homelessness in the state. They worked with the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless to collect more than 600 signatures from Newport residents on a petition to support homeless prevention and affordable housing programs. Future funding for such programs is at risk in the state budget.
Sen. Paiva Weed, the first woman in state history to serve as president of the Senate and a staunch advocate for support services for the homeless, spoke to students about the issue during their class. After thanking students for their involvement on the issue, she took their questions.
(Pictured, Sen. Teresa Paiva Weed speaks to students while Salve Regina freshman Dayna Gordon, a social work major, looks on in the background.)