PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Community Food Bank recently was the beneficiary of a $100,000 donation from the MetLife Foundation to help handle increased demand for food services in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
MetLife Foundation said food services are challenged in getting “shelf-stable” food into homes as quickly as possible. That emphasis is now heightened since vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly, are advised to “practice social distancing,” MetLife Foundation said, and families with children are in need of food as they “no longer have access to meals at schools.”
“We want to help those impacted by [the] coronavirus,” said Mike Zarcone, MetLife head of corporate affairs and MetLife Foundation chairman, in a statement.
In his respective statement, Rhode Island Community Food Bank CEO Andrew Schiff said the funds will help the food bank “acquire and distribute healthy, nutritious food for our neighbors” impacted by the crisis.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
