MAE Organization makes its way to Cranston

On Sunday, June 27, Martinha Javid, founder of the MAE Organization for the Homeless, received the key to the MAE Wellness Center, soon to open on Reservoir Avenue in Cranston. She is pictured with Christina Roberts, MAE’s president, during the recent Hope for the Homeless Summer BBQ.

The new center is something that Javid and her board have been working extremely hard to making a reality.

“After knocking on so many doors, and having them shut, I reached out to Councilman Ed Brady, explained our situation, and within a day we were looking at a building,” she said. “I arrived at this space and thought, ‘This can’t it be, it’s just so perfect.’ But there it was. A quick walk through and with the unanimous approval of our board, we signed a two-year contract.”

For now, MAE’s leadership would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to every volunteer and supporter who has stood alongside the organization thus far.

MAE’s mission is to empower and support individuals experiencing homelessness as well as families in need through hot meal service, outreach and comprehensive holistic programs. MAE will continue to facilitate in the healing of mental illness and opioid addiction along with their core pillars of love, inclusion, faith and empowerment.

“I want to especially thank Councilman Ed Brady and Taylor Swanson for making this a reality,” Javid said. “I recall in 2017 after my breast cancer diagnosis thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m really not going to live to see MAE open its doors.’ I remember telling God that that just couldn’t happen. Fast forward to 2021, after combating the disease and tremendous global suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are opening our doors in a city that already feels like home. We are here to contribute to healthy living, and empowering a city we, too, love.”

Cranston has long been a city of collaboration for the MAE Organization. Throughout the years, the group has partnered with the Rhode Island Dream Center and Praise Tabernacle for various functions, including an annual BBQ event for the homeless. During the pandemic, the organization further established a great partnership with the Cranston YMCA for food and basic needs delivery for many families.

MAE has strong relationships with restaurants like Twin Oaks, the Thirsty Beaver and Chaska restaurants, which have supported functions and cooked hot meals for delivery throughout the pandemic with help from a grant offered to them by the United Way through the Rhode Island Foundation.

An opening and ribbon cutting date, as well as a guide to programs the center will provide, will be announced at a later time.

(Text by Meri R. Kennedy / photo by Steve Popiel)