VISION 2030

As an organization, The Samaritans (est. 1977) is dedicated to keeping our historical commitment to free, anonymous access to our volunteer supported programs. How will we do this? By continuing the vision of our previous board of directors to long-term sustainability through agency volunteerism, conservative fiscal policies; growing our annual donor base and Endowment.  Stewardship of the agency and its programs also means a commitment to the vision of our "Forever Home", the historic Baker-Hanley House (c. 1823) and the artistic and public programming created for our Forget-Me-Not Gallery.

Zero Accidents, Zero Injuries, Zero Suicides

 WORKING TOWARD A SAFER RHODE ISLAND



Around the world, the gold standard for industry is – zero accidents, zero injuries, zero deaths. Today, The Samaritans is embracing that standard to include the installation of safety/suicide prevention barriers on Rhode Island state owned bridges over all highway bridges as well as bridges over Narragansett Bay including the Jamestown, Newport/Pell, Mount Hope and Sakonnet Bridges. Our efforts. along with other local advocates, to educate the public about the need for barriers has been documented in more than 80 local, state, regional, national and international publications and social media sites. We cannot and will not give up. We do this to honor everyone lost to our iconic bridges since they were built and to let the families left behind by their loved ones’ suicides know we care, and we remember.

Cross the Bridge to Hope

In 2012, we at The Samaritans recognized the future of health care was trending toward healthy lifestyles as an important element in suicide prevention.   Our “Cross the Bridge to Hope” annual walk/run at the Pell Bridge Run not only commemorates and honors those lost to suicide but has also become a family and friend “wellness” event.  Together, Team SamaritansRI is a caring community promoting healing aritnd healthy lifestyles..   This year's event is Sunday, October 19, 2025. Learn more at our  "Cross the Bridge to Hope" fund raising page.

Note: 100% of all donations to The Samaritans benefits our RI based charitable organization.

Support for All - Access for The Disabled Community

As we embark on the redesign of our website and accordingly our outreach into the community, we recognize the challenges of working with stakeholders in various situations and levels of need.  Access to care means different things to different people at different times and for different circumstances in their lives.

With extremely limited funding, we needed to decide where we to begin our efforts to redefine how we can best utilize the resources we currently have available.  We have decided to start with the universality of the disability community.

Disabilities can affect all populations and all ages. Isolation that comes with the stigma of disability inhibits and often prohibits access to caring family, friends, community as well as access to health and emotional wellness resources.

As funding become available, we will be looking at tools to help make our website and Crisis Hotline/Listening Line more easily accessible to individuals living with disabilities.

This initiative is a work-in-process, but we are dedicated and promise our best efforts.