ProJo: Interfaith vigil at R.I. State House puts focus on helping poor

PROVIDENCE — The start of a new year brought clergy to the State House Wednesday to call for action from Rhode Island lawmakers to combat poverty.

At the 10th annual Fighting Poverty with Faith Vigil in the State House rotunda, members of the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition called for new measures to help provide affordable housing, make child care more affordable and strengthen public health insurance programs.

“Sadly, we are not yet where we need to be,” said Maxine Richman of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and the Coalition's Steering Committee. “12.8 percent of Rhode Islanders and 17 percent of children — that's over 35,000 Rhode Island children — are still living in poverty. We find these numbers unacceptable.”

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Courtesy of Providence Journal