Trinki Brueckner and Helen Schall blended into the mid-morning crowd at The Coffee Depot in Warren, settling down at their seats with their coffees and pastries. 

At first glance, it might be difficult to imagine that Brueckner and Schall, quiet and unassuming in the sea of voices filling The Coffee Depot last Friday morning, are a driving force behind social justice events in Barrington. The two longtime Barrington residents have organized dozens of public programs in the East Bay, including some that have drawn hundreds of people into the streets. 

“It feels good,” Brueckner said, referring to her role in creating the Barrington Interfaith Partners. “I think the main reason we have lasted is because we have built relationships.”

In a landscape that has seen other activist organizations sprout and then wither in a matter of months, Barrington Interfaith Partners has flourished for years. It develops regular events — programs, rallies and more. Next month, Barrington Interfaith Partners will host a forum titled “Environmental Justice: Caring for the Earth with theologian Benjamim J. Hohman and Kim Cobb, director of the Institute at Brown University for Environment and Society.” 

Barrington Interfaith Partners is enjoying its 10th year — a testament to the efforts of Brueckner and Schall and a small group of volunteers. 

“I have to point out that Trinki is amazing,” Schall said, looking across the table to Brueckner. “We have the idea, but she’s executing it.”

Brueckner said she enjoys the work, but acknowledges that it can be a lot: Talking to groups, recruiting speakers, reserving venues, setting up for the events, promoting the programs, navigating the different sound systems, and more. 

“It’s a lot for Trinki,” Schall said, “but she’s younger than I am.”

Both women laughed. 

Brueckner and Schall said Barrington Interfaith Partners has roots that run back to 2016. Both had attended a Rhode Island Coalition to Reduce Poverty event in 2016 where the speaker had encouraged a grassroots effort to create change. 

“Helen was walking past me,” Brueckner said, recalling the event. Soon after, the two women began discussing the idea of forming their own group. 

In the Fall of 2016, just before the presidential election, the newly-formed Barrington Interfaith Partners sponsored three evenings of interfaith prayer. One evening was at Temple Habonim, another was at Barrington Congregational Church, and the third was at Saints Matthew and Mark Episcopal Church. 

More events followed: Book groups that culminated in forums; a program about racial violence; a sponsored talk about slavery in Rhode Island and in Barrington; a protest held outside an ICE office in Warwick; a community program about the Pokanoket Nation; and more. 

Then came Barrington Interfaith Partners’ Black Lives Matter vigil. It drew more than 1,000 people.

“We were just amazed,” Schall said about the number of people who attended the vigil. “Before that we had had programs that were pretty well attended … but that… I think that was just a shock. I noticed this morning I had a Barrington Times from it. I didn’t realize I saved it.”

Mission

At the top of Brueckner’s email was a statement describing the group. It read: “Barrington Interfaith Partners has been building relationships and pathways to justice since 2016. We are a group of laypeople and clergy from several Rhode Island communities and houses of worship, and we represent different faiths and different beliefs. We work together to educate ourselves and our communities about topics related to faith and racial and social justice, and to bring about a just and peaceful society.”

Brueckner and Schall said Barrington Interfaith Partners, which has hosted No Kings rallies, is not partisan. Schall said the group is focused on issues, and sometimes those issues weave into politics.

“We don’t talk partisan politics,” Brueckner said. She added that there are some people in town who believe the group is partisan. 

“I don’t think about it too much,” Schall said. “I think there are so many issues. Like our next program is going to be on the environment.”

They said the members of Barrington Interfaith Partners care about others and they care about justice. 

“I think we do try to maintain that we are people of faith,” Schall said. “It’s in the title, but we welcome people who aren’t sure. There was a big discussion with our environmental program … how we titled that — ‘God’s creation.’ Well, maybe we shouldn’t say it that way.” 

The group settled on something different.

Brueckner added: “Our mission statement says we welcome people of all faiths or no faith.”

“We try to be aware of that,” said Schall.