Coventry BankRI Hosts Food Drive to Benefit Community Food Bank

Over the past few years, hunger in the Ocean State has grown to its highest level on record. Rhode Island has the highest rate of food insecurity among New England states according to the USDA. And, each month, more than 66,000 Rhode Islanders turn to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s network of emergency food programs to help put food on the table for their families.

To help those in need, Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) announced Thursday that it will host a 7-week food drive in each of its 18 branches across the state to benefit local food pantries. The drive began on August 1 and runs through September 20 – helping pantries fill a vital gap during the late summer when the need further increases.

“Holding our food drive towards the end of the summer when children no longer have access to summer meal programs and are still a few weeks from receiving meals at school will help a lot of families,” said Mark J. Meiklejohn, President and CEO of BankRI. “Our customers and staff are known for giving back, and I know they will respond generously to this effort to help pantries replenish their shelves."

For the drive, every BankRI branch has partnered with a food pantry that serves its community, ensuring that all of the food collected will remain local to feed area residents. Each food pantry is a member of the Food Bank’s network of emergency food programs, including Coventry's food bank, located at 191 Macarthur Boulevard.

• Coventry: Coventry Community Food Bank
• Cranston (Atwood Ave., Park Ave., Plainfield Pike): Comprehensive Community Action
• East Greenwich: East Greenwich Interfaith Food Cupboard
• E. Providence (Taunton Ave., South Broadway): East Bay Community Action Program
• Johnston: Tri-Town Community Action Agency
• North Kingstown: Family Service of RI Food Pantry
• Pawtucket: Blackstone Valley Emergency Food Center
• Providence (East Side, Turks Head): Providence In-town Churches Association Food Pantry
• Smithfield: St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry at St. Philip Church
• Warwick (Buttonwoods, Centerville Rd., Warwick Ave.): Westbay Community Action Program
• Woonsocket & Lincoln: Connecting for Children & Families

“We applaud BankRI for helping local food pantries to provide healthy food to families in need,” says Andrew Schiff, Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “Community-based solutions to the challenge of hunger enable neighbors to help each other through hard times. Right now, more than 66,000 people rely on our network of agencies for food assistance. One in three served is a child under the age of 18.”

BankRI of Coventry is located at 3 Coventry Shoppers Park. Click here to view branch hours.