From Creative Ideas to Community Action!
Community Engagement Missions Day with Barrington Christian Academy at FeedRI
Authored by Wole Akinbi, half full, llc, Community Liaison
The “full” side of the business has evolved over the last five years at half full, llc. Pre-2020, our focus was providing a free personal development experience for high school teens called our “Youth Forward Leadership Program” (YFLP). But in the last year, we’ve evolved and have become more intentional about the way we give back as a company. Initiatives we’ve taken since 2020 include but are not limited to:
Joining the Central Providence Health Equity Zone (HEZ) as a member
Becoming a steering committee member for the Central Providence Unidos, Participatory Budgeting process
Solidifying the annual Smith Hill, Rhode Island, neighborhood clean up
Partnering with Tides Family Services to facilitate 2026 Teen Institute
Co-founding the 02908 Merchant Association ; dive in more here!
The latter is a prime example of what can be achieved when you have genuine relationships with stakeholders from all sectors of industry!
This year, we are taking our commitment to social impact to new heights, dubbing 2026 our year of social impact. Recently, our Founder Rebecca Twitchell explored exactly what this means in her latest blog (click here). Throughout the year we will bring you proven tips and strategies for embracing and leading with a social impact model. Today, I thought it would be helpful to share how we took our own vision for impact from concept to action.
From a Vision to a Collective
One social impact initiative we are most proud of is the formation of the 02908 Merchant Association — a dream that was first shared to the Smith Hill Partners’ Initiative (SHPI) back in 2016 from then Smith Hill Community Development Corporation (SHCDC) Executive Director Jean Lamb. At the time, Jean and her team had been thought partnering with other small businesses owners in Smith Hill, Rhode Island, and playfully teased the idea of starting a Merchant’s Association to provide resources to local businesses, while also highlighting the amazing local economy.
In 2018, the SHCDC, SHPI, residents and landlords from Smith Hill, got the opportunity to bring that idea of neighborhood improvement one step closer with the offering of the Smith Street Revitalization Plan Smith Street Revitalization Plan. A comprehensive plan that included over 40 stakeholders including: Smith Hill CDC, half full, llc, the City of Providence Planning Department, Camiros, Ltd, Providence College, Smith Hill Library, R.I. Department of State, Halstead Apartments and countless other residents, landlords and small business owners.
Related Reading: 5 Minutes with Wole Akinbi!
Altogether, 24 low-to-high priority projects were formed for the Plan over the course of 15 months. Projects varied from implementing more public art displays around the neighborhood to increasing both street and porch lighting on homes throughout the neighborhood.
One of the high priority projects was to start a “Smith Hill Merchant’s Association.” At the time, the thought process was to unify small businesses within Smith Hill and give those folks a platform for advocacy. As we rounded out 2019 and moved into 2020, the Steering Committee was gearing up to organize the very first “Taste of Smith Hill” event on the State House lawn in April 2020. That would’ve launched a recruitment effort to lock in small businesses to start and join a Smith Hill Merchant’s Association. But unfortunately, COVID-19 happened, and the Taste of Smith Hill, along with the other 23 projects on the plan were scrapped due to the pandemic.
Once we came out of global lockdown, half full, llc, was re-approached by the Providence city planning department to re-ignite the Smith Street Revitalization Plan by applying for a new federal grant through the USDOT called “Thriving Communities.” Led by Jessica Lance, Principal Planner, City of Providence, half full, llc, along with previous steering committee members, and the addition of ONE Neighborhood Builders as the fiscal agent. We applied for Thriving Communities with the Smith Street Revitalization Plan as the focus for funding. We submitted the application in 2021 and were APPROVED in 2022! With a timeline of two years, we were able to secure $120,000 because of the Thriving Communities program that we used as seed money to start the “02908 Merchant’s Collective.”
After looking around the 02908 zip codes, we realized that there were no merchant’s associations or formal business groups in the area. So instead of being selfish and keeping the MC solely focused on Smith Hill, we expanded the reach to our three other neighboring communities in Mt. Pleasant, Wanskuck and Elmhurst. Being inclusive of all small businesses in those neighborhoods is our top priority. The 02908 MC received its 501c3 status along with its formalized recognition in October 2024. We have officially passed our one-year anniversary as you read this! In our first year, we recruited 36 business owners to become members, facilitated 10 monthly meetings, brought in 14+ different business resources from municipalities, state government and independent non-profit organizations across R.I.
We’ve also successfully coordinated and executed the first EVER “Taste of 02908” food festival and small business showcase. With our first event, we sold 238 tickets, raised close to $9,000 and had over 300 people in attendance including vendors, small business owners, residents and college students. It was a true community event that took months of planning, with a committee of 10 stakeholders from the 02908 MC. Event Chair Ted Newcomer did an amazing job taking the lead on recruitment of sponsors, businesses, event staff and volunteers. Suffice it to say, the creation of the 02908 MC, and the execution of the taste event, are both long-term products of ideas that were thought of strategized 8 and 9 years prior to them happening.
Patience When Building
That is how long it can take for things to come to fruition when you’re working in collaboration with community partners. It is rarely EVER an immediate return or impact from brainstorming to creation. And that, my friends, is the main point I want to get across to folks who read this.
If you have a community of like-minded people and have a creative idea that you’d like to explore? Share it! Put it out there in the universe. Chances are there are other folks in your community that may have had the same idea and/or see the value in the idea you have and may want to assist you in bringing it to life! It’s about the we as we say at half full, llc!
Everyone on the original Smith Street Revitalization Plan Steering Committee believed in Jean’s idea of starting a merchant’s association for Smith Hill. Not only was it created years after Jean and her organization were no longer around, but we amplified her vision, making it bigger and more inclusive of our entire zip code. An appropriate next step for us is to make sure Jean gets her flowers and is recognized for sparking the fire for the 02908 MC!
Starting this is easily one of my favorite accomplishments for half full, llc next to co-founding SHPI. This is yet another excellent circle of active community people working together to support our local economy with intention, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’re excited to partner with you this year on advancing your social impact efforts. Our team is always available (reach out here) if you want an extra hand/perspective to drive progress against your goals.
