FEEDING FAMILIES:
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island and Bank of America Corp. united to address hunger during the coronavirus pandemic. The two entities created a collaborative food initiative in early May aimed at feeding Rhode Island families, and have provided more than 25,000 meals to date. Bank of America’s corporate cafeteria in Lincoln was mostly empty throughout the early period of the pandemic because employees were working from home due to the coronavirus. Seeking to provide relief as a solution to address food insecurity, a decision was made to turn the cafeteria into a food kitchen making nutritious meals for those that have been affected by the pandemic. Each weekday, the group prepares about 300 meals for distribution to members and their families of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence. Featured in the photo are, from left, Bonnie Piekarski, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island’s Woonsocket unit director; Rushie and Kenyon Williams, foreground; and Pedro Alvarez, Woonsocket food distribution team member at the Aug. 20 commemorative milestone event.