Simmons Village receives legislative grant

To say that Johnston State Rep. Stephen R. Ucci goes the extra mile for his constituents – especially senior citizens – would be an understatement.

Ucci, who combines his career as a lawyer with world-famous Raytheon Corporation’s Portsmouth operation, his family and helping numerous area non-profits, recently held a record-setting first presentation for the Simmons Village Tenants Association. The four-term State Representative who serves Johnston and Cranston showed up at the Simmons Village Community Center headquarters armed with an important legislative grant totaling $1,500.

“This is both huge and important,” Paul Mantia, president of the Simmons Village Tenant’s Association, said. “Our association cannot thank Rep. Ucci enough for what he is doing and what he’s planning to do.”

Mantia said the legislative grant, the first-ever for the Simmons Village Tenant’s Association, “will be used to directly help our association as well as our elderly and disabled residents.”

More importantly, as both Ucci and Mantia concurred, the state legislative grant will help the non-profit continue to work in an important reorganization period as the non-profit group builds its membership to run programs that will help each and every resident at Simmons Village.

“The Simmons Village Tennant’s Association now has an organization that has been up and running for almost a year,” Ucci explained. “The group provides an excellent opportunity for the tenants to come together in a different forum; earlier in the day with Picerne Properties that manages the facility, HUD, US and RI Housing and the [Rhode Island] Department of Elderly Affairs.”

Ucci noted that the meeting was beneficial to the tenants, as officials talked about resources available to seniors and their expectation of the facility and how they react with state and federal authorities.

“It was a real good meeting,” Ucci said. “The Department of Elderly Affairs is going to come back and do another meeting; their staff will inform residents with what programs they’re entitled to as far as health care are concerned.”

Ucci, who is a lifelong Johnston resident and graduate of LaSalle Academy (1989) and Providence College (1993), is also planning to do similar events at Allegria Court and Pell Manor in the coming months.

“Rep. Ucci has been a huge supporter of our association,” Mantia said. “So has Mayor [Joseph] Polisena. We are a domestic non-profit and appreciate any and all donations that are used solely to help our elderly and disabled residents. They’re also tax-deductible.”

Mantia also thanked former Johnston State Rep. Mary Cerra, who served as guest speaker and who the tenant’s association president emphasized “attends all our meetings and has been a big help in advising us on the many issues that tenant’s face.”

The Simmons Village Tenant’s Association was first formed last November and works to represent approximately 500 residents.

“We hold monthly meetings for our members to inform them of their rights,” Mantia said. “We have a panel of speakers to answers questions about various issues. Even Mayor Polisena has attended many of our meetings to stress the importance of having a tenant’s association. Our main mission is to inform our residents of their rights under HUD regulations and provide food for every resident.”

To date, the SVTA has held many coffee hours and dinners.

“We believe the more informed one is, the better off one is, so everyone knows their rights,” Mantia said. “That’s important so the residents can’t be taken advantage of. That’s the objective of most tenant’s associations, as well.”

Mantia, who has over 20 years in the financial services industry, was elected president.

“I’m a strong advocate for our residents, elderly, disabled or low income,” Mantia said. “We have a captain for all nine buildings and we have meetings twice a month and work on providing food for our residents. We currently have 100 members, and it’s growing each month.”

The Simmons Village Tenant’s Association also has what Mantia called “valuable sponsors” who had donated everything from bread to spinach pies to pizza. Borelli’s Bakery, Lancellotta’s, La Nuava and La Cucina – as well as Wal-Mart – have been very generous to our non-profit group.”

Mantia also praised Ucci for being “a great friend and his on-going interest in helping our association grow.”

Ucci, who lives in Johnston with his wife Dina and daughter Gianna, 6, also serves on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of RI, the Providence College President’s Council, St. Rocco School Advisory Board and Board of Governor’s for Johnston Hose Company Three.