As Holidays Near, How To Help Hungry Families In Rhode Island

The holidays are fast approaching, and it's the perfect time of year to seek out ways to help and give back to your Rhode Island neighbors. One way is by helping to make sure everyone in has a holiday meal of their own and full bellies on Christmas Day.

For millions of families in Rhode Island and other U.S. cities, a hearty holiday meal simply isn’t possible.

Rhode Island is among those where residents sometimes struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food pantries and food banks.

Rhode Island's food insecurity numbers from before the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 are broken down below, by county.

• Providence: 69,740 people experiencing food insecurity, 11 percent rate
• Newport: 7,110 people experiencing food insecurity, 8.6 percent
• Washington: 9,360 people experiencing food insecurity, 7.4 percent
• Bristol: 3,680 people experiencing food insecurity, 7.6 percent
• Kent: 14,100 people experiencing food insecurity, 8.6 percent

These numbers increased across the board during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Feeding America's 2021 projected food insecurity rates.

• Providence: 13.3 percent
• Newport: 10.6 percent
• Washington: 9.3 percent
• Bristol: 9.6 percent
• Kent: 10.7 percent

Last holiday season, 80 percent of Feeding America food banks reported serving more people than during the same time the previous year.

This year could be similar. Nationally, Feeding America estimates that as many as 42 million people — including 13 million children — could experience food insecurity in 2021. As a result, food banks nationwide have seen a nearly 55 percent increase in use.

There are many ways you can help ahead of the holidays. Here are a few ideas:

Donate To A Rhode Island Food Pantry

Food pantries and food banks have experienced a 55 percent spike in usage through the pandemic, according to the latest Feeding America data, erasing a decade’s worth of progress toward ending hunger in the United States.

Donating to a food pantry is simple. Food pantries accept any food that is “shelf-stable” or nonperishable — this means you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t go bad. It’s also a good rule of thumb to only donate food that hasn’t reached its “sell-by” date yet.

See a list of what to donate to food pantries and what to avoid.

There are dozens of food pantries in the state. The largest is the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, at 299 Niantic Avenue in Providence, where you can also find nearby organizations.

Volunteer At A Food Bank Or Pantry

More than half of all food programs in the United States rely entirely on volunteers, according to Feeding America. While volunteering can look different depending on where you’re at, here’s a sampling of the jobs you might do:

• Keep pantry shelves stocked and assemble food boxes for pickup.
• Help with fundraising or raise awareness of food pantry services.
• Deliver meals or food boxes.
• Assist with distribution at drive-thru or mobile food pantries.

Host A Fundraiser

You can take action against hunger in Rhode Island by hosting a fundraiser for Feeding America or any other local food bank or food pantry. Not only is it a great way to fight food insecurity, it’s also a fun way to interact with others while making a difference in your community.

Here are a few ways you can fundraise for Feeding America:

• Organize a fundraiser at work.
• Give meals instead of gifts for your birthday, wedding or any other special occasion.
• Use your talents to fundraise. Hold a bake sale. Sell your artwork. Set up a lemonade stand with the kids.
• Host a charity stream on Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube or Facebook and recruit your followers to give.

If you prefer to fundraise for another local food pantry or food bank, contact them to see how you can help.

Lobby Your Lawmakers

You can use your voice to advocate for those struggling with food insecurity. Federal food programs are a necessity in ending hunger — for every meal a food pantry provides, government food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide nine.

Organizations like Feeding America make it easy to reach out to your lawmakers using these contact forms.

Feeding America serves 200 member food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs around the country.

FIND FOOD
Find your local food bank

DONATE
Make a donation to Feeding America*

READ
"The Impact of Coronavirus On Food Insecurity"

ACT
Take action against hunger

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, more than 42 million Americans won’t have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations.* Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.