Adults over the age of 65 make up 31% of the guests that our member agencies serve. They rely on the Food Bank and its members for many reasons: unexpected increases in the cost of living or unplanned expenses, providing support for their families, and unexpected health issues; just to name a few.
Fortunately, the Food Bank supports Rhode Island’s older residents with programs to keep them fed with healthy, nutritious food.
The Commodity Supplemental Food ProgramIn 2015, thanks to the advocacy of U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Rhode Island became eligible to participate in the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). The program is administered by the Rhode Island Division of Elderly Affairs, who contracts with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank to run the program. This includes enrolling participants, ordering and packing food into boxes and distributing the boxes to program sites.
Every month, boxes are packed from federal commodities available to the program. While the contents of the box vary from month to month, they may contain foods like dry cereal, canned chicken, shelf-stable milk, peanut butter or beans, pasta or rice, and cans of fruit and vegetables. Boxes also come with a two-pound package of cheese that requires refrigeration. Each month food is ordered from the USDA warehouse and received by the Food Bank’s operations staff. The food is packed by staff and volunteers, and the boxes are delivered by the Food Bank’s transportation team to each of the distribution sites.
Each box meets the federal nutritional standards for seniors aged 60 and older to thrive. The contents are selected from a USDA-mandated list for seniors to use to make a meal. Food Bank staff regularly survey participants to find ways to improve the items selected for the senior boxes.
“Closed” sites are restricted to residents of the CSFP local distribution site. If you are a resident of one of the following local distribution sites, you can pick up your box there if you qualify.
The POINT – Rhode Island’s Aging & Disability Resource Center
(401) 462-4444
Division of Elderly Affairs
(401) 462-3000
RI Public Transit Authority (RIPTA)
Bus Pass Program for Seniors & People with Disabilities
Low-income persons with a disability or age 65 and above may ride free of charge with a RIPTA “No Fare ID Pass”.
For more information on how to apply, please call (401) 784-9500 ext. 1197 or ext. 1604.
Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Register
This system is designed to identify individuals who may require special assistance during emergencies.
Enrollment in the Registry does not guarantee assistance, but allows first responders to appropriately plan for, prepare for, and respond to the needs of the community.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
For a non-English translation of the above statement, please visit this website.
