People on the Move: Kyle Bennett Recognized by Sojourner House
GoLocalProv Business Team
People on the Move: Kyle Bennett Recognized by Sojourner House
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The Impact Award is for an individual whose work has directly impacted the Rhode Island community by supporting initiatives that promote housing stabilization and equity. This individual’s work has had a lasting impact on our organization.
Kyle Bennet, who serves as the Senior Director of Policy & Equity at the United Way of Rhode Island, has spent more than seventeen years advocating for the health and safety of low-income Rhode Islanders.
A big believer in the "housing first" model of care, Kyle has spent much of his career focused on affordable housing production.
In the late 90s, while working for Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, he pushed for the state to make use of blighted properties. This push led to the creation of a program that allowed developers of affordable housing (who met certain criteria) to purchase abandoned properties for rehab for only $1.
His commitment to this work only strengthened when he started his career at United Way. There, as a fundraiser, he's helped the group make investments in affordable housing developers like Sojourner House; and as a policy leader, helped advocate for legislative changes that would make the production of affordable housing easier.
Even outside of the housing sphere, Bennett's advocacy has had a substantial impact on the work of Sojourner House and our community at large. During his time as a volunteer and Board Member with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Kyle helped create the Ten Men initiative. If you're unfamiliar with Ten Men, it's an ongoing initiative from the coalition to prevent abuse before it starts by teaching young men to process complicated emotions and find healthy outlets for anger. he served as a founding member of the cohort and is immensely proud to see the group continue to thrive.
His advocacy efforts have left lasting marks on our community, and we're excited to honor him with our first-ever Impact Award.
Friday, May 31st, 8-10 am
Providence Marriott Downtown
1 Orms Street, Providence