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Community Support Highlights

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2025 Savor The Story celebrated our 150 years of library service

For 150 years, ideas and stories have been shared and passed at PPL. For our 10th annual Savor the Story gala we leaned into this long-standing story telling tradition and a camp reunion theme to celebrate the Library's 150th anniversary and the stories that exemplify what the Library, its work, and impact mean to everyone in our community. The event was another for the books, raising $110,000. 

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At this year’s gala, we told the stories of three outstanding community members and awarded them. 


True to the gala’s theme (Camp PPL!) we honored the age-old tradition of paper plate awards. But elevated. So, what is more classic than a Happy Camper or Spirit Award! Jo DuBiel, long-time Conservator (and Lyra Brown Nickerson Society member!), was the recipient of our first-ever Happy Camper award. Jo leads with her heart and passion first, and reminds us all of why the work we do is so important.


Angel Arrazola was awarded the inaugural PPL Alum Award, in celebration of his graduating from nearly every course offered at PPL, becoming a teacher for those classes, and then joining our Board, all before finishing his undergrad at Brown University. 

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And finally, our Enlightenment Award was awarded to Joe Wilson, Jr. An outstanding member of our community, he has shown a lifelong commitment to the ideals espoused by PPL’s mission and vision – to actively build a more equitable landscape of opportunity through learning and self expression. His commitment to the arts and cultural landscape of Providence and beyond cannot be overstated, and we are honored to share a few pages of our story with him.

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2025 PPLGive Day turned into month-long fundraising drive

Beginning with a refreshing of our annual PPLGive Day and ending with some special appeals to our Board and library patrons throughout the month of June, we had a successful drive to end the fiscal year on a high note, raising almost $20,000. Special thanks to everyone throughout PPL who contributed to helping us highlight our work and make this campaign extra special and engaging, both for folks at the library and on our social media channels.  

Major grants support new and ongoing programs, infrastructure 

The Library relies on a vast number of generous funders that contributed more than $2 million in 2025, including a number of notable grants in support of new and ongoing programs and necessary infrastructure work from the following:​

  • Rhode Island Department of Education contributed $315,000 and $72,415 respectively toward PPL's continued operation of RIFLI (Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative) and Adult Education Professional Development statewide programs, as well as $84,762 toward PPL's Teen Squads and PVD Young Makers

  • Governor's Workforce Board (Real Skills for Youth) awarded a $150,000 grant for various PPL workforce readiness initiatives, including PVD Young Makers internship, Rhode Coders 2.0 programs, Teen Entrepreneurs programming, and Data for Good

  • An anonymous grant of $200,000 in support of strategic planning, sustainability and capacity initiatives 

  • The Champlin Foundation contributed $180,523 for facilities and infrastructure projects

  • Governor’s Workforce Board (Real Jobs Rhode Island) contributed $150,000 in support of PPL’s Teen Squad programming

  • NEH contributed 142,909 in support of the National Digital Newspaper Program (Cycle 3)

  • Hearst Foundation contributed $125,000 in general support of TC Pathway programs​

  • Rhode Island Foundation contributed a total of $66,000 in support of varied program initiatives and general operations

  • City of Providence contributed $50,000 in support of general operations and education initiatives

  • Rhode Island Department of Human Services SNAP funding of $46,278 toward PPL's RIFLI and TC Pathway programs

  • United Way of Rhode Island contributed $30,000 in general operations support 

  • Providence Community Development Block Grant program contributed $28,000 toward an Americorps/PPL partnership to address community needs

  • June Rockwell Levy Foundations contributed $25,000 in support of general lifelong learning initiatives

  • Murray Family Foundation contributed $25,000 in support of Teen Squads, STEM Mentoring RI and Young Creators programs

  • Amica contributed $25,000 in support of adult and youth education programs

  • Papitto Opportunity Connection contributed $20,000 in support of adult and youth education programs

  • Rhode Island Energy - Empowering Communities contributed $20,000 for Young Creators / STEM Mentoring RI / Summer with your PVD Libraries / Teen Squads / PVD Young Makers

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