Five Questions With: Jane R. Peach

Jane R. Peach is the co-director of the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry in Cumberland.
Jane R. Peach is the co-director of the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry in Cumberland.

Jane R. Peach has been the co-director of the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry in Cumberland since 2012. She has also served as treasurer. The food pantry, open the third Saturday of every month, provides food to approximately 140 families. Individuals served include the elderly, families with children, the unemployed and the underemployed. The pantry opened in 2008 as the St. John’s Food Pantry, also in Cumberland, where Peach began as a volunteer. Here she discusses what makes the food pantry services unique.

PBN: What does it mean to be an emergency food pantry and how does that affect how you operate and who you serve?
PEACH:
An emergency food pantry is available to fill the needs of people whose food emergency occurs outside the normal distribution date. These people may or may not be registered with the organization. We have a dedicated pantry cellphone that rotates to different board members. If we get an emergency call, we have designated people who are able to meet the client at the pantry and fill their food needs. Unregistered people in need can leave basic information with us and then also attend the next regularly scheduled distribution date.

PBN: How many people did you serve in 2015 and how many do you project you’ll help in 2016?
PEACH:
In 2015, we served 1,573 families or 4,882 individuals. We estimate about a 10 percent increase in 2016: 1,730 families or 5,370 individuals. We’re discussing opening the pantry twice a month instead of once a month because of increased demand. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the biggest days ever. Fifty percent come from Cumberland, but we draw from Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Lincoln and even Attleboro, Mass. We could not exist if it wasn’t for our wonderful volunteers – both board members and delivery and weekend volunteers.

PBN: In January you will have a new co-director. Who is it and how will this leadership change affect the organization?
PEACH:
The board has a rotating membership so only a few of the members change every year. Kim Hawthorne will take the position of Diane D’Ambra as co-director. Kim has a lot of contacts in Cumberland and she’s been on the board for two years. Kim has reviewed the job description and will be working with me over the next six months or so to learn the position. Diane is staying on as chairperson of the fundraising committee.

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PBN: Unlike other food pantries in the state, yours does not require referrals or tax return information. How does that benefit clients and the organization?
PEACH:
We feel that we fill a need that other pantries do not. If you are willing to stand in line, we will let you “shop” for food. From our shelves, clients are able to pick the kinds of food they like. For example, they are able to pick which kind of soup or vegetables their family likes.

PBN: What are the most needed food supplies and were there any special needs met this past year?
PEACH:
Because these items are in limited supply at the Rhode Island food bank, the most needed food supplies are peanut butter, tuna, juice, soup and cereal.
The year before last we received a grant from the town of Cumberland and picked up a commercial-grade freezer. We were able to get and store more protein for clients, whereas before then we only had a household-type refrigerator freezer.

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