On Feb. 14, Brown will launch “Brown ❤️ Providence.” 

The people of Providence and Rhode Island showed us the true meaning of community on Dec. 13, 2025, and in the days that followed the tragedy. First responders and state officials worked around the clock to ensure our safety and keep everyone informed. Businesses provided warm meals and kind words. Neighbors opened their doors to those who needed food or a place to sleep. Community partners and alumni ensured safe passage for our students leaving campus, providing transportation to the airport, train station or other locations around the region.

As we move forward with recovery efforts through the Brown Ever True initiative, we also share our deepest gratitude with the people of Providence who stepped up for us in the face of tragedy, and who continue to support us in ways both big and small. “Brown ❤️ Providence” is a month-long coordinated effort to channel our appreciation into action. We invite students, faculty, staff and others in the Brown community to join us in giving back to the city that gives so much to us. 

At the core of this effort will be opportunities for us to show our love locally, from giving to nonprofit organizations to shopping locally to volunteering our time to organizations serving the local community. These acts of gratitude are in addition to Brown’s prior investments in local merchants, and will preview upcoming opportunities to thank first responders and neighbors, which we’ll do over the coming weeks and months. More information and details on how to engage in this campaign of appreciation and support will be available next week.

I encourage you to show your support directly to the community members and organizations closest to your heart when the campaign launches Feb. 14. Our collective gratitude to the city we love truly has no time limit, but I hope that we can come together in a coordinated effort over the course of this weeks-long campaign to express our gratitude for the selfless aid our Providence community provided when we needed it most. 

As the campus continues to settle into the academic semester, I feel immensely proud of the ways that the Brown community is showing care and resilience for one another – attributes that live at the heart of what makes Brown, “Brown.” We extend that care also to the local communities in the city we call home.

Sincerely, 
Christina H. Paxson, President