Olneyville Collaborative

Olneyville Housing Corporation serves as the fiscal agent and convener of the Olneyville Collaborative, a coalition of stakeholder organizations working together as a force for positive social, economic, environmental, and community change to improve the quality of life in Olneyville.  The Collaborative holds monthly meetings which serve as an opportunity for members to share information, address issues of concern, and plan initiatives.  In 2002, the Collaborative completed a planning process through Rhode Island Housing’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program that resulted in Olneyville ACTION, a Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. 

The Olneyville Collaborative is a recipient of a 2007-2009 Neighborhood Development grant from the United Way of RI. 

In 2005, members of the Olneyville Collaborative created the Manton Ave. Community Garden, which provides more than 20 residents the opportunity to grow their own healthy food.  

The land is provided by  Joslin Community Development  Corporation.  Raised garden beds were build by YouthBuild Providence students, who help gardeners maintain the lot throughout the year.  Southside Community Land Trust provided expertise and start-up funds.  Water for the garden is generously donated by Councilman Joseph DeLuca.  We are also grateful to New England Grassroots Environment Fund and Trillium Asset Management Corporation for their support of the Manton Ave. Community Garden.

Manton Ave. Community Garden

Olneyville Fall Festival

Members of the Olneyville Collaborative work together each year to organize the Olneyville Fall Festival, a community-building event geared towards neighborhood children and their families.  The 2008 Olneyville Fall Festival brought more than 300 people into Riverside Park and featured horse-drawn wagon rides, a bouncy house, canoe rides, pumpkin painting, arts and crafts, a blacksmithing demonstration, sports contests, games, free food, live entertainment, and more. 

Olneyville SHINES

Olneyville SHINES is an annual neighborhood cleanup that takes place at several sites around the neighborhood.  In 2008, several Olneyville Collaborative members organized cleanups around the neighborhood, while the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council and City Year took the lead on a huge cleanup effort at Riverside Park.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

Olneyville Housing Corporation operates a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site from January to April, but we recruit volunteers year-round! Through the VITA program, volunteers prepare tax returns for local taxpayers in need of assistance. The program aims to ensure that taxpayers' returns are prepared correctly, so that they receive the full amount of tax refunds and credits they are due. In 2002, over $2 million in Earned Income Tax Credit dollars went unclaimed in the 02909 zip code where Olneyville is located! Last tax season, our clients received more than $142,145 in tax refunds, $73,250 of which was in Earned Income Tax Credit dollars. All volunteers must be certified by the IRS. Free training is available in a wide range of convenient options. In the past, our VITA site has been located at Olneyville Community Schools and at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, Olneyville Branch through the Olneyville Collaborative.

Olneyville Neighborhood News

The Olneyville Collaborative publishes Olneyville Neighborhood News, a quarterly neighborhood newsletter that is mailed to about 1800 households and distributed through local businesses and community centers.