CENTRAL FALLS – Famed actress and Central Falls native Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, announced a $1.2 million investment into the city this week.
Davis and Tennon said they decided to give back through their Davis-Tennon Foundation with an investment toward building the Mary Alice Davis Family Engagement Center, named after Davis’s mother. It will be community hub foropportunity, strengthening families, and connecting people with more resources.
“For me, this has always been about possibility. My mother believed in people, even when life was difficult. Naming this Center in her honor is a tribute to her strength and a promise that we will continue investing in people and creating places where hope can grow,” Davis said.
At the center, individuals and families will access services, education, support, and opportunity in one location. It will include a parent resource center, parent university and adult empowerment programming, an expanded Mary Alice Davis Food Pantry, workforce development and financial literacy programming, family engagement initiatives, community events and educational workshops, and a permanent administrative headquarters for the Davis-Tennon Foundation.
“Whether someone comes seeking food, parenting resources, educational support, workforce training, or guidance through a difficult season, our goal is simple: one place where people are welcomed, connected, and empowered,” Angelo Garcia, chairperson of the Davis-Tennon Foundation, said in a release.
The Mary Alice Davis Food Pantry serves about 3,000 people each month, and the Mary Alice Davis Family Engagement Center will serve as another resource for the food pantry.
