Melissa Hits the Road on a Statewide Pantry Tour
Our new CEO, Melissa Cherney, is on the road this week meeting with representatives from food pantries across Rhode Island—from Pawtucket to Newport—as part of a statewide tour of our member agencies. These visits are all about connecting with local leaders, hearing directly from the teams serving our neighbors, and discussing how we can work together to tackle record food insecurity in our state.
Pictured (above): Melissa stops for a smile with Paul Salera, President/CEO of Westbay Community Action Program during a pantry tour, joined volunteers from Connecting for Children & Families for a group photo, and is seen here with Kate Mushipi, Executive Director of Good Neighbors, in their food pantry.
We’re grateful to our member agency partners who open their doors to welcome us, and we can’t wait to share more highlights from the tour soon! Stay tuned to our social media for more.
New Research: RI Struggles to Afford Balanced Meals
September is Hunger Action Month, and all month long, we have been sharing stories and information that reveal what hunger looks like in our state.
Researchers at Brown University’s School of Public Health have partnered with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island to conduct Rhode Island Voices, a project of the RI Life Index. The initiative is a statewide survey designed to capture the lived experiences of Rhode Islanders. Findings demonstrated that community members are overwhelmingly facing tough choices when it comes to putting food on the table.
According to the research, nearly 50% of Rhode Islanders surveyed said they sometimes or often couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.
“You can go from one financial situation to another in a minute,” Donna, a guest at one of our member agencies, shared with us. “Thankfully there’s help.”
You’re Invited: Raise a Pint for the Food Bank
Join us on Thursday, October 9th for our Pints with Purpose kick-off event at The Guild in Pawtucket (461 Main St, Pawtucket) from 6-9 PM! Every month, The Guild chooses a local nonprofit to support, with $2 from the sale of every Pints with Purpose pint benefitting that organization. In October, it’s the Food Bank’s turn! We received so many creative submissions for beer names from the public, and we’re excited to announce the winner. Join us for the big reveal, a raffle with great prizes from local businesses, and to raise a pint to support the Food Bank. We’ll see you there!
You Can Take Action This September
Become a Monthly Sustainer
Give monthly via an automatic charge to your card or deduction from your bank account to ensure our continued ability to meet our community’s need.
Become a Sustainer
Founded in 1982, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank (“the Food Bank” or “RI Food Bank”) serves as the central hub for food distribution across its state-wide network of 147 member agencies, ensuring that nutritious food reaches those who need it most. Through donations, federal programs, and community partnerships, the Food Bank works to improve the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders by advancing solutions to the problem of hunger.
The RI Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Rhode Island Community Food Bank︱rifoodbank.org︱(401) 942-6325︱200 Niantic Avenue, Providence RI 02907︱contactus@rifoodbank.org
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