BankRI Summer Food Drive Surpasses 6,000 Pounds Collected, $18,000 Donated

Bank Rhode Island’s recent summer food drive saw an outpouring of support from customers, employees and residents across the state, all rallying to help local families facing hunger.

In total, the effort led to 6,395 pounds of nonperishable food — exceeding last year’s results. In addition to the food collected, BankRI awarded $1,000 grants to 13 local food pantries and donated $5,000 to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, according to a media release.

“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,” BankRI President and Ceo Will Tsonos said in the release.

“In challenging times, it’s powerful to see a community come together," Tsonos said. "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 early this year in response to what’s become an unprecedented need for food assistance among Rhode Islanders.

The six-week drive began July 7 at all 22 BankRI branches and ran through Aug. 15. For the effort, 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 food pantry partners to benefit from the bank’s drive are:

• Better Lives Rhode Island (Providence)
• Blackstone Valley Emergency Food Center (Pawtucket)
• Comprehensive Community Action Program (Cranston)
• Connecting for Children & Families (Lincoln and Woonsocket)
• Coventry Friends of Human Services—Coventry Community Food Bank (Coventry)
• Domestic Violence Program of Crossroads RI (Providence)
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (Middletown and Newport)
• East Bay Community Action Program (East Providence)
• East Greenwich Interfaith Food Cupboard (East Greenwich)
• Jonnycake Center for Hope (Wakefield)
• North Kingstown Food Pantry (North Kingstown)
• St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Philip Church (Johnston and Smithfield)
• Westbay Community Action (Warwick)

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