It’s a long way from the posh East Side to Olneyville – figuratively, at least. But for Hank Sennott, director of public relations for the United Way of Rhode Island, the organization’s recent move from the Wayland Square neighborhood to a 22,000-square-foot office in the rehabbed Calendar Mills complex was worth the trek.

After 30 years on the East Side, Sennott said the rumblings of change started a couple of years ago, as United Way chapters nationwide began to adopt a more “impact-focused agenda.” In Sennott’s words: They wanted to walk the talk.

“It’s one thing for us to sit up here on the East Side and talk about having an impact on the community. But we could certainly be more effective and certainly demonstrate more leadership if we actually moved to an area where we were practicing what we were preaching,” said Sennott.

After a couple of years of site searching throughout the city, the group’s relocation to the Olneyville site made the most sense, both philosophically and based on the organization’s logistical needs. “Olneyville is certainly an emerging neighborhood where we felt we could go and possibly be a major piece of the puzzle that would really help turn the neighborhood around,” Sennott said.

Prior to the group’s relocation, which was recently celebrated by a well-attended neighborhood block party, Sennott said United Way laid a strong foundation with ample outreach. United Way brass met with as many neighborhood organizations as possible to hear their thoughts about the group coming into the neighborhood, Sennott said, adding that he had received feedback from the community that people were excited to have United Way.

“I really think it’s very important for the community that they’re here,” said Abe Hernandez, a member of the Olneyville Homeowners Association. “We have a good relationship with them. The organization will bring in some resources that this community needs, and I think it’s important for them to be here, because they will be watching and overseeing the needs of the neighborhood,”

The group has been involved in Olneyville in the past, according to Sennott, and it hopes to continue doing so – particularly with a $500,000 grant commitment, to be spread out over five years, that was announced at the block party. And though it has been in the new home only a short time, Sennott said he hoped that United Way would see an uptick in its ability to raise funds. “We’re hoping people are going to see that we’re not just talking about what communities and organizations should be doing. [We’re] actually out there doing it. We hope that one of the side benefits is going to be that when people think about how they’re going to make their philanthropic investments, particularly in these difficult economic times, they’re going to say that their money would be well invested in United Way,” he said.

Specific plans for outreach in the neighborhood are still very much in the thinking stages, according to Sennott. But the knowledge of the issues Olneyville faces is there. Housing and job skills are but two of those concerns – and they are not just specific to Olneyville. Sennott said part of the impetus behind the relocation was to better align the organization with these types of issues. And in learning about the Olneyville community, hopefully United Way can continue to apply the lessons it has learned to its work statewide. •