PROVIDENCE – Bank Rhode Island’s recent summer food drive collected 6,395 pounds of nonperishable food, surpassing last year’s total, the bank announced.
In addition to the food donations, BankRI awarded $1,000 grants to 13 local food pantries and contributed $5,000 to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
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“This year’s food drive was one of our most successful, and it reflects the compassion of our customers and staff – and their commitment to supporting our fellow Rhode Islanders,” said Will Tsonos, bank CEO and president. “In challenging times, it’s powerful to see a community come together. Hunger is an issue we all have the ability to fight and I’m grateful to everyone who stepped up and made a donation.”
BankRI began its annual summer food drive in response to what’s become an unprecedented need for food assistance among Rhode Islanders.
According to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 1 in 3 households are food insecure and more than 89,000 people turn to the organization and its network for food each month – an all-time high.
“We’re beyond grateful for the generosity and partnership of our friends at BankRI,” said Kate MacDonald, the food bank’s director of communications. “Right now, we’re in a time of high need and minimal resources. Being able to rely on the community and partners like BankRI is crucial to the work of providing as much food as possible.”
The six-week drive began on July 7 at all 22 BankRI branches and ran through Aug. 15. Each branch partnered with a local food pantry so that donated food would stay in the community where it’s collected.
BankRI’s North Kingstown branch led the way, collecting 1,326 pounds. Other top collecting branches include Highland Avenue in East Providence; Coventry; and East Greenwich, the bank said.
The food pantry partners to benefit from the bank’s drive include:
- Better Lives Rhode Island in Providence.
- Blackstone Valley Emergency Food Center in Pawtucket.
- Comprehensive Community Action Program in Cranston.
- Connecting for Children & Families in Lincoln and Woonsocket.
- Coventry Friends of Human Services – Coventry Community Food Bank in Coventry.
- Domestic Violence Program of Crossroads Rhode Island in Providence.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Middletown and Newport.
- East Bay Community Action Program in East Providence.
- East Greenwich Interfaith Food Cupboard in East Greenwich.
- Jonnycake Center for Hope in South Kingstown.
- North Kingstown Food Pantry in North Kingstown.
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Philip Church in Johnston and Smithfield.
- Westbay Community Action in Warwick.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
