We need your help!

On Jan 1, 2020, the RI Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) informed AS220 that — due to DCYF departmental budget overruns — they would not be renewing AS220 Youth’s two contracts with the department, totalling $74,276 annually.

These funds are critical to AS220 Youth: they allow the program to directly support DCYF-involved young people at our Downtown Studio at Empire Street.

We need you to advocate for our young people.

If you’re a Rhode Island resident, follow these steps to contact your State Representative:

1. Use this link to find your Representative in the General Assembly

2. After finding your Rep’s name, use this link to find their email address (right hand side)

3. Email your Rep! You can write your own message, or copy and paste ours below.

4. If you’re super motivated, you can also contact Governor Raimondo at this link to advocate for AS220 Youth’s DCYF funding to be reinstated. 

We’ve also included an infographic at the end of this post that has more basic information about the program.

Thank you for advocating on behalf of AS220 Youth!

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Dear Rep [insert name here],

Please advocate for the reinstatement of AS220 Youth’s DCYF funding!

On January 1, 2020, the RI Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) cut funding that supports AS220 Youth’s Downtown Studio on Empire Street — totalling $74,276 annually — due to DCYF’s departmental budget overruns.

AS220 Youth’s Downtown Studio operates as an important transitional and diversionary program for youth, and enrolls over 200 young people per year.  The Studio provides vital arts education, mentoring, workforce development and peer-to-peer leadership opportunities for at- and beyond-risk* youth (*risk of: involvement with DCYF or the juvenile justice system, recidivism, disconnection from school or employment, homelessness, violence, substance abuse, etc).  22% of Downtown Studio members are known to be DCYF or juvenile justice-involved.  

Rhode Island’s at- and beyond-risk youth need AS220 Youth’s support!  These cuts put that support in jeopardy.  Please advocate to the House Committee on Finance members for the reinstatement of AS220 Youth’s DCYF funding, retroactively funded to Jan 1, 2020.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[sign off with your name and — if comfortable — list your street address so they know you’re a constituent]

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