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Source: https://www.brown.edu/news/2026-02-25/brown-loves-providence-thanks-city-residents Parent: https://www.brown.edu/news
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February 25, 2026 2026-02-25
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Lynda Curtis\ [email protected]\ 401-863-6183
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Through ‘Brown Loves Providence,’ Brown community members turn appreciation into action
Brown University students, faculty and staff are uniting to thank and honor Providence and its residents, businesses and officials through acts of appreciation including coordinated giving, local spending and volunteerism.
Since launching on Valentine’s Day, a “Brown Loves Providence” projection has illuminated the Lindemann Performing Arts Center along Angell Street. Photo by Nick Dentamaro/Brown University.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.[Brown University] — On a frigid February afternoon — two days before the historic Blizzard of 2026 arrived in full force — small groups of students, faculty and staff from Brown University fanned out across Providence, canvas bags in hand, making stops at local restaurants, shops and office buildings. Inside each bag were Brown knit hats, reusable water bottles and handwritten notes of appreciation.
At Brown Bee Coffee on Benefit Street, third-year medical student Anisha Baktha greeted owner Waleed Ghazi with a smile. “We’re Brown students, and we just wanted to say thank you,” she said.
Ghazi, who had offered free pastries to students in the days following the tragic Dec. 13 shooting on Brown’s campus, looked pleasantly surprised. “That’s very kind — you didn’t have to do that,” he said. “I appreciate you stopping in — and for being a part of our community.”
The visit was one of many that will take place through mid-March as part of Brown Loves Providence, a campus-wide initiative created to reciprocate the care and compassion shown to the University by local residents, businesses and first responders in the aftermath of the December attack. Since its Valentine’s Day launch, the effort has mobilized hundreds of participants who have penned personal thank-you notes, displayed “Brown Loves Providence” posters, and directed their purchasing power toward city merchants and nonprofits.
In downtown Providence, Brown employees Judy Kimberly and Susan Ely distribute cards and gifts to local businesses.
Baktha, who also earned her bachelor’s degree from Brown in 2023, said Providence has become her second home — making it especially meaningful to join the effort to express gratitude to the people who stood by Brown.
“After Dec. 13, the generosity of local businesses brought us comfort and closeness when we needed it most,” Baktha said. “Brown Loves Providence is our way of saying thank you to those business owners and workers — and of honoring the togetherness that carries us through difficult times. Delivering these bags has been a powerful reminder that we’re not alone as we continue to heal and move forward.”
Turning appreciation into action
In the days and weeks after the tragedy, local communities rallied around Brown in extraordinary ways. First responders and state officials worked day and night to safeguard campus, while local businesses offered hot meals and filled storefronts and social media with “PVD loves Brown” messages of solidarity. Neighbors opened their homes to those seeking a meal or rest, and community partners and Brown alumni in the area organized transportation to ensure students could reach airports and train stations for an unplanned, early start to the winter break.
Matthew Guterl, Brown’s vice president for diversity and inclusion, said the people of Providence and Rhode Island surrounded Brown with an outpouring of love and support.
“The city, including elected officials, first responders, local business owners and neighbors, really stood up for us,” Guterl said. “Providence wrapped its arms around the University that night and held us tight in the weeks that followed. They helped to get us through to the other side of this terrible shooting. For this, we owe them our heartfelt thanks.”
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At Page-Robinson Hall, Brown staff member Natalia Román Alicea collects thank-you notes at one of 10 campus tables inviting the Brown community to write messages and display “Brown Loves Providence” posters and stickers.
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As part of the effort, Brown students and employees are writing personal notes and letters thanking Providence and its residents.
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At city hall, Brown President Christina Paxson delivers thank-you cards to Mayor Brett Smiley and Chief of Police Oscar Perez. Photo by Nick Dentamaro/Brown University.
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The Mayor’s Office is one of many visits taking place citywide through mid-March. Photo by Nick Dentamaro/Brown University.
As students, faculty and staff began the spring semester, a collective desire to show up for the city took root across campus, Guterl said. To turn that gratitude into visible support, leaders began organizing Brown Loves Providence — a coordinated effort centered on intentional local spending, volunteerism and personal outreach, including face-to-face expressions of thanks.
Brown community members are now leading those efforts across campus. Dozens of volunteers are delivering gift bags and handwritten cards to more than 70 community leaders and organizations, including first responders, local churches, neighborhood businesses and nonprofits. Groups are organizing visits to city restaurants and boutiques, while others are amplifying local businesses on social media. The initiative is also collecting in-kind donations for Providence nonprofits and selling Brown Loves Providence apparel, with 100% of net proceeds reinvested in the local community.
Many Brown staff members, including Meagan Pepper-Estes, a program coordinator in the Division of Biology and Medicine, are turning their appreciation into action by coordinating group lunches and dinners at local establishments.
“Almost every Friday, a group of us head out to lunch at local spots,” Pepper-Estes said. “We started the tradition last year, but it feels especially important now to support the businesses on Thayer, Hope and the surrounding streets. Choosing where we spend our time and money feels like a small but meaningful way to give back.”
A visible show of love is also central to the effort, with posters, stickers, digital billboards, banner ads and social media posts amplifying the thank-you message — including a projection of “Brown Loves Providence” illuminating the Lindemann Performing Arts Center along Angell Street.
By giving Brown community members a direct way to acknowledge the city and its residents, Brown Loves Providence builds on the University’s broader Brown Ever True recovery effort, Guterl said.
“A lot of public health guidance suggests that community repair and long-term resilience flow from positive, real-world interactions,” Guterl said. “Being there for each other, showing up in person, and fiercely expressing gratitude and kindness — these seemingly small acts have outsized impacts on our collective healing. This is the heart of Ever True, and it is exactly what Brown Loves Providence is all about.”
As the initiative continues into March, Mary Jo Callan, vice president for community engagement at Brown, said the gestures of gratitude will build on the sense of unity and connection between Brown and Providence.
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Anisha Baktha and Anika Weling serve as “Brown Loves Providence” ambassadors, visiting neighborhood businesses to share appreciation.
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At Hazel Origin Coffee on Brook Street, gift bags and handwritten notes are delivered to staff.
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Flatbread Company on Cushing Street is among 70 Providence establishments receiving small tokens as part of the Brown Loves Providence efforts.
“Rallying faculty, staff, students and alumni through Brown Loves Providence is a powerful way to deepen our commitment to making a meaningful, positive impact in our home city, further strengthening our partnership with this incredible community,” Callan said.
Brown sophomore Anika Weling, who returned to her native India between semesters, has delivered gift bags and thank-you cards to Providence businesses and plans to continue in the weeks ahead.
“Coming back to campus and seeing the ‘Providence Loves Brown’ signs only further showed me how selflessly caring the people of the city have been,” Weling said. “I am grateful to be able to say thank you to everyone who made such a difference in the lives of my friends and classmates. As an international student, the way the Providence community showed up for us makes me proud to call Brown my home away from home.”
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