Olneyville is home to Rhode Island’s only “resilient hub,” a community space dedicated to helping residents adapt to the challenges of climate change 

The Olneyville Resilience Hub launched in early 2024 through a collaboration between several city agencies and non-profits, including the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC), the City of Providence Office of Sustainability, Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Providence Department of Recreation, and the Olneyville Neighborhood Association. 

Back in 2022, Elder Gonzalez Trejo — who served as WRWC’s Director of Programs while also working in the City’s Sustainability Office — envisioned a dedicated space where community members could access resources and gather for planning, learning, and connection. Speaking to Breathe Providence prior to the Hub’s launch, González Trejo said “You need to activate people by empowering them. We must learn our history, and understand where we’ve failed in the past and how we can provide incentives in exchange for valued participation.” 

To bring this vision to life and shape its mission, he collaborated with Jenny Mercado, who participated in WRWC’s program Nuevas Voces. Mercado is now a Nuevas Voces program cofacilitator as well as Olneyville Resilience Hub’s city liaison. 

In addition to Mercado, the work of the Hub is currently led by Coordinator Adriana Almiron and its Community Resilience Committee (CRC). The CRC are a group of local residents who share their expertise and insight to shape the Hub’s projects, goals, and overall direction. Almiron, Mercado, and the CRC continuously engage local partners and residents to identify how the Hub can best serve community members that improve their well-being and ability to respond to climate events.

Since opening, the Hub has become a vibrant community anchor, hosting community events, health clinics, English classes, workshops, and resilience training focused on activities like building DIY water and air filters, and more. 

“The main goal of the Hub is to have a friendly, inviting, and safe space for the community to find resources and gather,” said Almiron.  “It is meant to be run by community, for community.”

The Hub offers an expansive range of services and events through its diverse partnerships. Recent highlights include hosting English classes with the Providence Public Library and serving as a home base for WRWC’s Climate Action programs like Nuevas Voces and Campeones del Combate Climático. The Hub has also provided space for Project LETS, which offers community mental health support programs to youth and young adults.

The Hub’s impact is already reaching beyond Providence. Stakeholders from the city of Newport recently visited with the Olneyville Resilience Hub team to learn from their experience as they consider establishing a resilience hub for their own city. 

Renovations Underway to the Hub’s Facility

Thanks to $3.3 million in state funding secured by the Smiley Administration, the Joslin Recreation Center and Olneyville Resilience Hub are being transformed through renovations. The renovation plans were shaped directly by community feedback. Back in April of 2024, the Hub team conducted a community needs assessment, speaking with neighbors about what they would like to see and be able to access through the Hub. 

The design is prioritizing community-identified features such as building a computer lab and adding more space to gather. Construction began in summer of 2025 and is expected to wrap up in late 2026. 

Despite undergoing renovations to the space, the Hub is very much still active, meeting often at the United Way facilities nearby. 

Building DIY Air Filters

In late January of this year, the Hub teamed up with the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Asthma Control Program to host a DIY air filter workshop. Community members learned to build a “Corsi-Rosenthal Box,” which is a simple, low-cost air purifier made by taping four MERV 13 filters into a cube with a box fan on top and cardboard at the bottom. The air filters effectively trap and collect indoor pollutants that can contribute to asthma and breathing issues. They are also easy to maintain — the filters change color when they need to be swapped (about every four to six months).

“Private indoor residences can have the highest levels of air pollution, especially in zip codes 02905, 02907, and 02909,” said Del Rose Newball from RIDOH who was helping lead the event. “Partnerships like this one are a meaningful way to reach the community and teach them to take their health into their own hands.”

One attendee of the workshop said the air filter will help improve air quality in her kitchen where additional ventilation is needed while cooking. Another attendee and her two children each made a filter. She is hoping the filters will ensure her children breathe cleaner air, especially while sleeping at night. 

Looking Forward

For Almiron, the future for the Hub is full of potential, who said “We are hoping to keep building the services we offer. In addition to more health and environment-focused workshops, some ideas we have in the works include a speakers program, workforce development services, and hosting job fares.” According to Almiron, the team is also focused on strengthening the Hub’s governance structure to ensure it remains inclusive and effective. 

The Hub is dedicated to providing residents with practical tools they need to adapt to climate change while building a stronger community. With a slate of exciting new programs on the horizon and a soon-to-be transformed space, the Olneyville Resilience Hub will serve as an important bridge between climate action and community connection. 

The Olneyville Resilience Hub is located at the Joslin Recreation Center on 17 Hyat Street, Providence, RI 02909. It is currently being renovated, with plans for completion late 2026. If you are interested in learning more about the Olneyville Resilience Hub, becoming a CRC member, or are interested in partnering, please visit their website or email [email protected].

 

Amber Ma lives on the west end of Providence with her husband and two cats. She loves gardening, shopping at farmers markets, and cooking with local and homegrown ingredients. She is also passionate about transit, sustainability, and pollinators. She is a volunteer at the Community Cat Center in Johnston. She and her husband went car-free in 2022 and are always exploring the city by foot, bike, or bus.

 

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council as the “Rivershed Council.” We regret the error.

An earlier version also indicated that the renovated facility would have a kitchen. This was incorrect.