Employees at Fidelity Investments spent one recent week focusing on a different type of investment – efforts to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Through hands-on volunteering, a food drive and a dress-down-day fundraiser, staff members were able to donate $1,751 and 4,483 pounds of food. The funds donated will allow the bank to purchase an additional 5,253 pounds of food.

All together, the combined efforts will enable the food bank to provide meals for more than 8,000 people in need.

“We’re so impressed by Fidelity’s company-wide enthusiasm for volunteerism and their commitment to making sure no Rhode Islander goes hungry,” said Andrew Schiff, CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “This effort comes at a critical time for the food bank, because donations typically drop during the summer. And yet, many families with school-age children really struggle without the benefit of school meals.”

Wendy Lessard, community-relations senior manager for Fidelity, said that employees were polled on which organizations they wanted to support. The response from those in favor of the food bank, she said, was overwhelming. •