The executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness applauds the efforts of Crossroads Rhode Island at its annual meeting.

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, May 5, 2005

BY ELIZABETH GUDRAIS
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Philip Mangano will tell you, looking you directly in the eye and speaking with absolute certainty, that there will be no more chronic homelessness in the United States within 10 years.

Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, visited Providence to celebrate Crossroads Rhode Island's contribution to ending homelessness.

"There's a new mindset in our country on this issue," said Mangano, the keynote speaker at Crossroads' annual meeting last night. "For a lot of years, people thought it was intractable."

Mangano praised President Bush, who, he said, "revitalized" the long-dormant Interagency Council, which brings together representatives of 20 federal agencies. Another part of Mangano's job involves meetingwith governors and mayors to get interagency councils started at the state and local levels. In Rhode Island, he said, Governor Carcieri and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian have already created councils and are working on 10-year plans, and Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline is "moving in that direction."

The councils aim to connect the public, private and nonprofit sectors, drawing on the resources of each "to move from serving homeless people to ending homelessness," Mangano said.

At Crossroads Rhode Island, it's already happening. Through a partnership with Amos House's ACE culinary training program, homeless people cook and serve meals to other homeless people in the Crossroads dining room. At the same time, they learn food preparation and service skills, and work toward food-safety certification, equipping themselves for jobs in the restaurant industry.

This year, Crossroads plans to launch a copy and print shop as another job-training option. It would be open to the public, but Crossroads is marketing the services to other nonprofits because the copy shop wouldn't have a storefront to attract customers, Crossroads development director Lisa Roth Blackman said.

The agency also expects to open a nine-unit housing facility for the elderly in West Warwick and is seeking a permanent location for its family shelter.

Last night, Crossroads presented the outstanding volunteer award to Bristol resident Joseph Cembrola, who, in two years of volunteer service, has done everything from serving food in the soup kitchen to facilitating the creation of a 401(k) plan for Crossroads employees.

Gerry Daigle, Crossroads' maintenance supervisor, received the outstanding employee award. Daigle, 53, of Rumford, "is kind," Crossroads president Anne Nolan said in presenting the award. "He is gentle. He is respectful. He creates safety."

The Junior League of Rhode Island received the Dr. Sharon Zupko Award for health-care services provided to Crossroads clients.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares accepted the Leadership Hall of Fame Award. Through the program, Coldwell Banker employees in Rhode Island can donate to Crossroads through payroll deduction. Coldwell Banker also offers gift matching and organizes benefits for Crossroads.

The Corporation for Supportive Housing, which has offices in 10 states and encourages the provision of housing that connects homeless people with the services they need, received the Marion F. Avarista Award.

Also at last night's meeting, the board of directors installed Howard G. Sutton, publisher, president and CEO of The Providence Journal Co., as chairman. Sutton replaces Merrill W. Sherman, who is president and CEO of Bank Rhode Island.