A Legacy of Philanthropy - Giving Thanks and Recognition to Taco, Inc.

Among philanthropic organizations that provide generous support to education and the arts, one name that stands out prominently is the Taco / White Family Foundation, headed by John Hazen White, Jr.

Family-owned and operated for three generations, Taco, Inc. stands out as a company which not only values its employees and inspires leadership, but has mindfully woven the principles of volunteerism and philanthropy into the company culture. In any given year, the Taco / White Family Foundation donates more than $900,000 and volunteers countless hours to more than 300 Rhode Island non-profits.

John Hazen White, Jr. follows in the footsteps of his parents, John and Happy White, who believed Taco as a company is not separate from its people. They believed in investing in the people that work at Taco, and in the community in which they lived. They established the John and Happy White Foundation to benefit worthy community-based organizations operating in Rhode Island for the benefit of Rhode Islanders. As a result of their generosity, John and Happy White were honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals with the Outstanding Philanthropic Citizen Award in 1998.

Today, Taco and its CEO John Hazen White Jr. continue tradition of giving through the renamed Taco / White Family Foundation, and are honored by the same organization that honored his parents decades ago.

Unlike other foundations whose funding may come from an endowment, bequests, inheritance, or external donations, the Taco / White Family Foundation derives its funding from the Taco company profits, generated by the productivity of the company’s workers. In this way, each and every employee contributes to the growth and prosperity of the Foundation, and influences the success and impact on various community non-profit organizations.

Under Taco’s Employee Volunteer Charitable Grant Program, employees are invited to seek grant funding for non-profit organizations in which they or a family member are actively involved. To qualify, employees must volunteer 50 or more hours a year with the organization for which they are requesting a grant. The Foundation makes regular awards of up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for a team of employees throughout the year based on employee requests.

Taco focuses its support on programs and projects designed to advance organizations' missions and objectives. The areas of focus include Music and Arts, Healthcare, Education, Community Service, and the Environment. Most remarkably, Taco distinguishes itself from other funders by providing crucial seed money to non-profits for projects that might not otherwise qualify for funding from other foundations or grant agencies. Demonstrating the scope of the White entrepreneurial and intrepid vision, the Taco / White Family Foundation recognizes the value of smaller, somewhat unconventional projects and the needs these projects fulfill for the requesting organizations. These investments by Taco make an enormous positive impact on the recipients, and, in some cases, grants by Taco are leveraged for additional sums from other funding providers, amplifying the financial benefit.

Rhode Island PBS has gratefully benefited from Taco’s philanthropy over the years. Most recently, a grant from the Foundation enabled us to completely renovate the studio set of A Lively Experiment, achieving a more contemporary, attractive ambiance that reflects the diversity of Rhode Island landscapes and lifestyles, an ideal setting for the weekly discussions around the table of this weekly political affairs production. In addition, we were able to upgrade important equipment, which now allows A Lively Experiment and other in-house studio productions to be recorded in high definition. These upgrades have been instrumental in our ability to broadcast quality local content, and enhancing our role as a learning resource to Rhode Islanders.

Taco impacts more than 300 community non-profits each year, including the Providence Performing Arts Center, Progresso Latino, the Rhode Island Free Clinic, and the Butler Hospital Center for Advanced Diagnostics & Therapeutics in Alzheimer’s Disease.

John Hazen White Jr. learned the virtue of philanthropy early on from his parents. He honors their legacy by cultivating philanthropy in his children, who are also leaders at Taco, and who continue Taco’s strong tradition of giving. Creating a generational legacy of philanthropy takes commitment, dedication, and hard work, the fruits of which we see in the good works being performed by many well-known - and countless lesser-known - non-profit organizations in Rhode Island.

In recognition of his vision, courage, service, and benevolence, it was our privilege to nominate Taco and CEO John Hazen White Jr. to be the recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Rhode Island Chapter. We were thrilled to learn Taco won the award, presented during a breakfast ceremony with more than 400 guests in attendance.

Explore Our Town: Glocester with Rhode Island PBS

The local legends, historical happenings, and backyard secrets of Glocester, Rhode Island, are the focus of Our Town, a new Rhode Island PBS community project. Earlier this autumn, neighbors in Glocester became storytellers and filmmakers to capture the stories they wanted to tell in Our Town: Glocester. These stories have been woven together into a visual tapestry of nostalgia, humor, enterprise, history, even a surprise or two, all of which represents life in Glocester. Rhode Island PBS proudly premieres the documentary Our Town: Glocester on Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. Glocester residents and friends involved in the production will be in the studio to chat about their project experiences. Volunteers will also answer phones during this fund raising special to benefit Rhode Island PBS.

Among the stories that will appear in the film is a segment about family-owned Mulberry Vineyards. In “From Grape to Glass,” David and Melissa Wright demonstrate how wine grapes are grown, harvested, pressed, and bottled in their weekend-hobby-turned-business in Chepachet.

Another segment features The Purple Cat restaurant. Established long before the Boston pub “where everybody knows your name,” The Purple Cat was the place to go where patrons would invariably run into friends and neighbors. Rose Lavoie – the heart and soul of the former local landmark – shares her memories about those who frequented “The Cat” over the years. Rose also describes the work ethic gleaned by her children in the family-owned business, and how extended family worked as wait staff.

Town historian Edna Kent paints a vivid picture of the Chepachet of yesteryear, including how fires ravaged a good portion of Chepachet and how the townsfolk rebounded.

Our Town also visits with the Bates family of West Glocester. Their land has been in the family for nine generations, beginning with settlers who accompanied Roger Williams to Rhode Island. This ancestral continuity is a source of great pride for them. In the segment, Barbara Bates shares her mother’s wisdom: “It’s terribly important to learn about your ancestors so you don’t go through life thinking you were self-made.”

And what would a visit to Glocester be without stopping by Tavern on Main? Tom D’Agostino recounts the legends of the haunting of this historic restaurant. Waiters and patrons also describe their “spirited” encounters with flying objects and bizarre behavior.

“It’s been a great experience,” said Margie O’Brien, producer of Our Town. “The warmth and hospitality we were shown during this project was as inspiring as it was informative and entertaining.”

“The film does a great job showcasing Glocester’s charm and natural beauty, too. We’re looking forward to sharing the stories of Our Town: Glocester with all of Rhode Island on December third,” agreed Jodi Mesolella, Our Town project director.

Part fund-raiser, part community builder, part historical and cultural documentary, and part “day-in-the-life” video scrapbook, Our Town: Glocester is the first documentary in the Our Town series. Our Town shares with viewers the charm and character of Rhode Island's towns and villages. Those untold or uncelebrated stories, captured by resident storytellers and videographers, share the essence of elected towns.

For information about joining the Rhode Island PBS Our Town project, visit ripbs.org/ourtown, or call Jodi Mesolella (project director) at 401-222-3636, extension 209, Margie O'Brien (producer) at extension 225, or email ourtown@ripbs.org.

Tonight, World TV Premiere of New England Legends Maritime Mysteries

(l -r) Nate, Tony and Jeff

In just a few hours, Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne will be in Rhode Island PBS studios to present their Emmy-nominated series, New England Legends, including the world television premiere of the latest episode, "Maritime Mysteries." We're very excited to welcome Jeff and Tony to our studio! Tune in starting at 8 p.m. for all three episodes (scroll down for descriptions of the episodes). Then, wrap your night of fascinating "tales from the fringe" with Haunted RI: The Legends of Dolly Cole at 10 p.m. Great night of TV on Rhode Island PBS! 

In the meantime while you wait for 8 p.m. to arrive, listen in to this interview of Jeff by Tim Weisberg of WBSM 1420 AM on Saturday Morning with Tim Weisberg.

"The Spooky Berkshires" examines the tragic history of the Houghton Mansion in North Adams, Massachusetts, and its century-old haunting, then heads up to October Mountain in the Berkshires to chase down stories of Bigfoot sightings, UFOs, and the ghost of a young girl said to haunt an abandoned cemetery somewhere deep in the woods. In 2014, "The Spooky Berkshires" was nominated for an Emmy under the "Magazine Program/Special" category.

The second episode,"Mysteries in Stone," takes viewers north of Boston to a 4,000-year-old calendar in Salem, New Hampshire dubbed "America’s Stonehenge," before heading south to Lynn Woods on Boston's North Shore to explore tales of pirates, buried treasure, and a man who spent his life tunneling through solid rock because spirits told him he'd find gold.

The newest episode, "Maritime Mysteries," dives into the ocean waters of southeastern New England to explore the lonely and haunted Rose Island Lighthouse off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. Then viewers head to shore to ponder an ancient and mysterious stone tower with possible connections to the Knights Templar. Finally, the crew trek up to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to investigate the haunts of abandoned Fort Taber / Fort Rodman.

"This isn't a ghost-hunting show," said Host and Executive Producer Jeff Belanger. "Legends are living, breathing things. They define our communities as much as the buildings or the people who came before us. New England Legends will explore those tales from the fringe that make living in New England that much more interesting. We’re thrilled to share these important stories with viewers of Rhode Island PBS."

New England Legends is a joint venture between Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. The two have been working together since 2009 when Dunne wrote and produced the documentary Things That Go Bump in the Night: Tales of Haunted New England for PBS. Belanger was featured prominently in that first documentary, which went on to national acclaim.

"To earn an Emmy nomination on our very first episode was a huge honor," said Director and Executive Producer Tony Dunne. "'Maritime Mysteries' takes this series to a higher level with even better story-telling, camera work, and editing. We want to show New Englanders the mysteries that many walk by every day without noticing."

Belanger and Dunne are currently working on future episodes of New England Legends and are actively seeking sponsorship to turn the program into a regular feature across more New England PBS affiliates.

About New England Legends
New England Legends is a partnership between Tony Dunne and Jeff Belanger. The series premiered in 2013 on PBS affiliate WGBY in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 2014, the initial episode was nominated for an Emmy under the “Magazine Program/Special” category. “Maritime Mysteries” will air on WGBY Thursday, October 30th at 10:00 PM, and on Rhode Island PBS, Wednesday, October 29 at 8:00 PM. For more information, visit: http://www.ournewenglandlegends.com

Are You on the Watch List? (Benefit Auction Closes Sunday)

Tick tock! The Rhode Island PBS 2014 Benefit Auction is winding down, but you still have time to make your bid. The Auction ends Sunday, October 26, 2014. The 2014 Benefit Auction offers four specialty items chosen with you in mind. Bid with confidence, knowing your winning bid supports the shows you love to watch on Rhode Island PBS.

The Rhode Island PBS 2014 Benefit Auction features the 2015 Toyota Prius Two, generously donated by your New England Toyota Dealer. The Toyota Prius Two hybrid delivers five-passenger comfort, safety, and legendary fuel efficiency. Right now, bid $19,750 and you could find yourself behind the wheel of a 2015 Toyota Prius II, valued at $25,250. But place your bid before this auction closes at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26.

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FrameMyTV.com offers a creative and attractive way to hide your wall-mounted flat screen TV when it's not in use - transform it into a mirror or painting. Your bid of $800 could buy you a $1,500 decorating solution from FrameMyTV.com. This gift certificate will be sold at 8:45 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26.

Hide your TV screen behind the specially designed beam-splitting reflective glass. Turn your TV off and it is beautifully concealed by mirrored glass; turn your TV on and the glass reveals the crystal clear image on the screen behind it. Several design and decorating styles are available. Custom frame options are available, or go frameless and opt for a bathroom TV mirror. This item comes to the winning bidder in the form of a gift certificate valued at $1,500.

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Famous for their breakfasts, The Welch House Inn in Boothbay Harbor Maine offers spectacular views in any season. Savor the bounty during your two-night stay at The Welch House Inn, a 19th century Maine B and B overlooking Boothbay Harbor in mid-coast Maine.  Bid $366 and you could spend 2-nights at The Welch House Inn in Maine. This trip will sell at 8:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26.

Watch the boats sail by as you enjoy a full gourmet breakfast from the spacious deck or the glass front dining room. Walk to the best restaurants, galleries, and excursions that Boothbay Harbor offers, then enjoy an amazing sunset from the rooftop deck of this century old shipbuilder’s home. All 14 guestrooms have private baths, A/C, and TV/VCR. King, Queen, or Double Beds available with spectacular harbor views and gas fireplaces. Open year round. The stay at The Welch House Inn is valued at $455.

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Enjoy the beauty of Jamaica's world-famous seven mile beach in Negril - voted one of the top beaches in the world - during your four-day three-night stay in Garden Room accommodations at the quaint beachfront villa resort, Rondel Village. Your bid of $175 starts your journey of 4 days / 3 nights at Jamaica's Rondel Village resort. Bidding on this trip ends at 8:15 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 26. This item has a value of $350.

This unique property offers privacy and tranquility in spacious accommodations, amid lush tropical gardens. It's an enchanting paradise where service is personalized and the surroundings are comfortable and relaxing. Rondel Village is a beautiful resort with beachside pool and new spa. Rondel Village is a winner of the Travelife Silver Award for sustainability in 2013, the Tourism Service Excellence Award in 2011 from the Negril Champion Organization and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association Winner, Small Hotels Award in 2008. Also a national winner for the NCB Women in Business Award in 2011.

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The Rhode Island PBS Benefit Auction is online only at ripbs.org until Sunday, October 26. Experience the benefit!