This week we took a look at the recent announcement that the Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation would be putting aside $500,000 per year to provide annual funding to each of its 205 Leadership Schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, launching with an initial $1 million dispersement.

Although $1 million or $500,000 only goes so far tangibly when split up among more than 200 individual schools, it’s hard to fully quantify the overall impact that Alan Shawn Feinstein has had on students in New England and beyond since founding the Foundation over 30 years ago in 1991.

In a time when scrutiny over how the wealthy manage and allocate their resources has perhaps never been under more scrutiny, right here in Rhode Island we have an example of someone who has taken the financial prosperity they have accumulated and focused their efforts back into the community in real and impactful ways.

Although one person cannot save the entire public school system, Feinstein has made his mark physically, through the signs placed on each school that joins the leadership program, and in more subtle ways, such as providing a positive example for kids to aspire to, and giving schools resources to complete projects and target endeavors that might otherwise not fit within the scope of their operating budgets.

These can be small projects, like a food pantry or an outdoor learning space, but they are things that enrich school experiences for kids and teachers alike, and improve morale among all who attend. They show that someone has their back, and wants them to succeed.

Certainly, in an era where cynicism and negativity seems to be the stand operating procedure for pundits and people on social media, it is refreshing to see someone dedicate so much time, and so many resources, all towards a simple goal of wanting to see children learn and thrive in better conditions, and in better, more robust learning environments.

Now into the 10th decade of his life, Feinstein may not be around to oversee the result and continued impact of his labors much longer, but the legacy of his foundation and the people he has touched will continue to bear fruit for many more years to come.