PROVIDENCE – For close to two decades, Andrew Schiff has worked to help feed Rhode Islanders in need, especially when a global health pandemic brought such food need to record levels.
Next year, Schiff will shift his focus from food to his family. The Rhode Island Community Food Bank announced Friday that Schiff will retire next year from the state’s largest food distribution nonprofit as its CEO after leading it for more than 17 years.
The food bank says Schiff is looking forward to spending more time with his children and new grandson. The food bank’s board of directors expects to start a national search for a new CEO this fall. Schiff, the organization says, will remain onboard through next spring to both support the search and help with the leadership transition.
“It has been a tremendous honor to lead the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and play a small role in caring and advocating for families who need it most,” Schiff said in a statement. “When I first interviewed for this position, I said we needed to have big ideas and a big heart. This organization has both in ample supply, and I am proud to say that we are in a strong position as we look for a new leader with the vision to carry the food bank into its next chapter.”
Schiff’s retirement will end a career in food advocacy and support that spanned for close to a quarter century. He first started with Project Bread – The Walk for Hunger in 2001 as an assistant director, according to his LinkedIn profile. Then, in March 2007, Schiff took the reins at the food bank.
In that time, the food bank under Schiff’s tenure doubled the amount of food distributed to people in need across the Ocean State. The food bank currently serves more than 82,000 Rhode Islanders each month through a statewide network of 147 agencies, the food bank says.
In the 20204 fiscal year, the food bank distributed
a record 18.3 million pounds of food. That is a 13% increase from the 16.2 million pounds of food the food bank put forth to the community in 2023.
Those high numbers were because the need for food increased exponentially both
during and
after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as
when inflation hit. The food bank says food need in Rhode Island increased by 43% between 2002 and this year, and the Rhode Island Life Index says nearly 1 in 3 households are considered “food insecure.” Plus, 38% of households with children in the state are food insecure, the food bank says.
Schiff also lent his voice to help support those in need of food. The food bank says the outgoing CEO was a “fierce advocate” on both improving food security and other issues impacting Rhode Islanders’ health and well-being. Among the issues Schiff advocated for was including raising the minimum wage, increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit, and improving access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits; Women, Infants and Children benefits and school meals.
“Through the recession of 2008, a global pandemic, and this current time of unprecedented need, Andrew has been both a calm and courageous leader,” Food bank board President Jyothi Subramaniam said in a statement. “He leads this organization with a strong vision and approaches the work with humility and compassion. On behalf of the board, our staff, and the many partner organizations that share our vision for a state where no one goes hungry, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Andrew for his many years of service.”
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 X at @James_Bessette.
