You're invited to a community dinner in Woonsocket March 22

The Rhode Island Foundation is inviting the public to talk and listen to each other over a free meal.

The Foundation’s “TogetherRI” community dinners will kick off in northern Rhode Island on Thurs., March 22, at Woonsocket Middle School, 60 Florence Dr., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“We’ll offer people the chance to talk face-to-face with each other over family-style meals. Our hope is that everyone will meet someone new and will leave knowing that their voice was heard,: said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation's president and CEO.

Nineteen additional community get-togethers are scheduled across the state through May 5. Every event is free and open to the public.

“We’re offering places for listening, reconnecting, and inspiring civil dialogue at a time when people are more ‘connected’ via social media, yet more disconnected from each other personally than ever,” Steinberg said.

Upcoming get-togethers include stops in Newport at Rogers High School on March 28 and in Warren at Hope & Main April 4. Here is the complete schedule of get-togethers.

“This is an opportunity for all Rhode Islanders – no matter the town they live in or what they care about – to come together to strengthen social connections, to be heard, to discuss opportunities and challenges, and to strengthen the foundation of our community,” said Steinberg.

The 20 locations were selected to provide convenient places to gather no matter where people live or work in Rhode Island. People can register to attend, but RSVPs are not required.

“Each and every Rhode Islander has a role to play in ensuring our collective success. These conversations will be a neutral place for dialogue on topics that are critical to our common future, and a place where we hope the recent tendency toward divisiveness and polarization will be left at the door,” said Steinberg.

Independent, professional facilitators will guide the sessions. The University of Rhode Island’s Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy will collate the information shared at TogetherRI conversations and administer and aggregate data from a brief, anonymous, participant survey.

The Foundation expects to announce the topline results at its annual meeting May 24 and to release a complete report this summer.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised $38 million and awarded $43 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities in 2017. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.