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Over and over , we ’ re told “ it ’ s okay not to be okay ,” but the next step is to ask for help and actually get it . The Rhode Island Hospitality Association saw the writing on the wall when the restaurant shutdown first went into effect last spring , and continues to help local hospitality workers more than a year later .
“ I am not trained , but I do listen and I could cry right now . I could ball my eyes out because many people just need someone to talk to ,” says Rhode Island Hospitality Association President Dale Venturini . “ There ’ s a helplessness from people . This is an industry of people who are resilient . They are just hardcore . But they are now being challenged in a way they have never been challenged before without the tools to handle it .”
Starting last spring and continuing presently , Venturini and team began sending out weekly email blasts with mental health resources for hospitality workers . They encouraged restaurant owners to share mental health resources with their teams , regardless of the number of hours worked , including furloughed , seasonal , part-time and full-time employees . No health insurance is required . Resources include the free mental health hub called Active Minds ; the Sanvello app for stress , anxiety and depression with guided meditation , community discussion and tips ; Ben ’ s Friends , a free hospitalityfocused substance abuse support network ; a crisis text line ; and Optum ’ s Substance Use Disorder and Emotional Support helplines .
The RI Hospitality Association also helped create a website dedicated to supporting Rhode Island hospitality workers , hospitalitysupportri . org , as well as a Facebook page for the community . It raised more than $ 200,000 for grants for the Rhode Island Hospitality Employee Relief Fund , and it continues to make resources available for navigating financial resources and mental health help , including leading virtual group discussions , so people know they are not alone .
“ A lot of times , people don ’ t want to talk to their family or friends , because they don ’ t want to burden them with it ,” Venturini says . “ Sometimes having a resource that is anonymous , professional and trained to help makes it a lot easier for people to express some of things they are going through . There ’ s nothing wrong with wanting to get a little help because
108 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY 2021