Five Questions With: Allisson Smith

Providence resident Allisson Smith was named the 2018 Cox Charities Community Hero in Rhode Island. For the past four years, she has volunteered with middle and high school girls as part of the Rhode Island chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Because of Smith’s recognition by Cox Charities, the 17-year-old Rhode Island chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women will receive a $3,000 donation from the corporate entity. At Cox, Smith serves as the billing application and product support specialist.

PBN: In February you were named the 2018 Cox Charities Community Hero for your work with the Rhode Island chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. How did you first get involved with this group?

SMITH: My daughter was a participant for three years in the L.E.A.D. (Leadership Education and Development) program, which the Rhode Island NCBW chapter sponsors. They routinely provided sessions for the parents to be involved and I attended those faithfully. When my daughter graduated from high school, the coordinator of the program asked me if I would like to be a mentor because she saw how involved I was in my daughter’s activities. I was thrilled for the opportunity to grow my involvement.

 

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PBN: What is your role at Cox and how do the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s goals align with your work?

SMITH: At Cox Communications, I work in the IT [information technology] department in West Warwick as billing application and product support specialist.

Our goal is to educate our girls on how to become strong, professional leaders and not followers. My job at Cox promotes these values and I encourage all employees to do their best work. If my volunteering keeps one girl on the right path, I have accomplished what I set out to do: be a good role model for all of them.

PBN: Your award came with a $3,000 Cox Charities donation. How will you use it?

SMITH: We are raising money to take our girls to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., next year. Because we are a nonprofit, we rely on grants and donations for initiatives like these. This grant from Cox will help tremendously.

PBN: Why is it important for businesses to support employees who volunteer?

SMITH: It’s an important move on behalf of the company because it shows they care about what employees are doing in their communities. By giving back, Cox enables us to pursue our goal of helping those locally who are most in need.

PBN: How will your work with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women continue and evolve throughout 2018?

SMITH: L.E.A.D. runs from October to April each year. At its conclusion, I will continue to work with other mentors to prepare our 2019 sessions, which will be my fifth year. We also arrange for summer outings with the girls, so they may keep in touch while on school vacation.

Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.