Continue reading »]]> Mark your calendar and dust off your sneakers – our 4th Annual Get Off Your CAN!  5K Run/Walk to End hunger will be here before you know it!

Date:  Saturday, June 16, 2012

Location:  Bristol Town Beach Pavilion (course through Colt State Park)

Race time:  9:00am

Registration:  begins at 7:30am

Register online today or view complete 5K brochure here!

YOUR $20 REGISTRATION HELPS US PURCHASE 200 LBS OF FOOD!

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We are hosting our fourth annual “Get Off Your CAN - 5K Run/Walk to End Hunger” at 9:00 am at the Bristol Town Beach Pavilion on Saturday, June 16^th, 2012.  We need your partnership in sponsoring our 5K at one of the following levels to support our efforts in feeding hungry families in the East Bay:

Sustainer -      $1000

Gold CAN –     $750

Silver CAN –    $500

Bronze CAN – $250*

Tin CAN –        $100

Each sponsor will be recognized prominently on the race t-shirts at the corresponding gift level and in all our publicity.  Sponsors may also consider donating items to be given away to race participants on event day.  Appropriate items may include a business logo and should be suitable for all age groups.  Click here for the sponsorship application.

Funds raised with the “Get Off Your CAN – 5K Run/Walk to End Hunger!” event will be used to support the work of the East Bay Food Pantry located at 150 Franklin Street in Bristol.  Our current efforts include expanding our healthy food options for our clients and their children as part of our Access Nutrition Initiative.  We are also kicking off our Food4Kids program this summer which provides nutritious food every week for children who receive free or reduced lunch during the school year.  We are committed to helping our clients increase their understanding of good nutrition and supporting their use of healthy foods with an array of recipes, food tastings and healthy cooking classes.  We are energized by the real potential for positive impact this initiative can make in the lives of some of the most vulnerable RI children and their families.

The East Bay Food Pantry serves nearly 1,200 families representing more than 4,000 individuals struggling to put food on their tables.  EBFP is run by a small staff and over 60 dedicated volunteers who strive to alleviate hunger in the East Bay.  We rely on the ongoing support from community members and business leaders who value making a difference in the lives of others.

The EBFP is participating in the Feinstein $1 Million Giveaway to End Hunger and all sponsorships and donations collected by April 30 will dramatically increase the amount of our gift from the Feinstein foundation.  We appreciate your consideration and thank you for your support.

*Did you know that with your $250 donation we can purchase 2,500 lbs. of food from RI Community Food Bank?  Amazing!!

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We held our second Healthy Cooking class on Friday, March 9th for 11 appreciative food pantry clients.  Heidi Hetzler, SNAP-Ed dietician, taught the class with the help of 2 URI student interns.

The featured recipe was “Healthy Corn Chowder” which was delicious and also low in sodium and fat.  Clients raved about the addition of thyme in the recipe for the flavor and aroma it added to the chowder.

The next classes in the series will be held on April 13th, May 4th, and June 8th from 11:00am – Noon in the Franklin Court Community Room.  Please contact the East Bay Food Pantry for additional information.

Continue reading »]]> Dear Friends,

Statistics at EBFP reflect the continued economic challenges experienced by our nation, state, and East Bay region.  The RI Community Food Bank reports that state-wide food pantry usage is up by 58% in four years and that member agencies are currently providing food for 60,000 Rhode Islanders.  EBFP’s service numbers have increased by 77% over the past three years and 4,000 East Bay residents now receive food support at our pantry.  Our fervent hope is that 2012 will bring improved economic conditions for our clients and their families and all those in need across our state.

The East Bay community continues to meet the challenge of providing for the ever-growing number of EBFP client households and fortunately that responsibility is shared by an increasing number of organizations, businesses, families, and individuals.  Our 2011 Annual Appeal shows a 90% increase in total donations and the number of donors grew by 84% over the prior year.  We are grateful that more and more people are hearing our message and embracing our mission.  We will continue to share the story of our crucial work with the goal of raising awareness of EBFP across the entire East Bay region.

An important component of our 2011 story has been the success of our Access Nutrition Initiative. Empowered with nutrition training by a registered dietician, our pantry volunteers consistently share the importance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with our clients and provide support and assistance during their monthly pantry visit.  These highly nutritious target foods have been available consistently, all through the year, so that clients always have the option to select healthy foods in our pantry.  The growing and harvest seasons brought us fresh produce from individual growers, the Girl Scouts, Warren Community Garden, Magaziner Farm, and a whopping 1,000 pounds of fresh produce from Blithewold and nearly as much from Simmons Farm in Middletown.  In addition, Farm Fresh RI is now making monthly deliveries of produce and dairy donations contributed by member farms.

We are grateful for the talent and commitment of our board, staff, and fabulous volunteers and appreciate the many ways each and every one of you bring our mission to life – our combined efforts have provided the provisions for 320,295 meals since we opened our doors in August 2009!  We literally could not provide the depth and quality of services to our clients without the astounding dedication of our volunteers in giving nearly 8,000 hours of service to EBFP.  What a celebration – let’s keep up the great work together!

With hope and joy,                                                       Click here to read complete report!

Anita Randall, Executive Director  and  Jodi Leffingwell, President of the Board 2011

Continue reading »]]> Our 3rd Annual Rock the CAN! was our most successful yet, with over 200 guests enjoying the music of four terrific, local acts:  Rendition, Trinity, The Repercussions, and Band of Brothers!  We are so grateful that these fine musicians are willing to share their talent for such a good cause.

Jacky’s Galaxie hosted the event for the third year in a row, providing the venue and buffet free of charge.  Many thanks to Jacky, Val and their fine staff for treating everyone to such a fine evening!

The ever popular raffle featured donations from the following fabulous businesses:

Kate and Co, Green River Silver, Bayside Resort in Yarmouth MA, Newport Mansions, Nick’s Fish, Bead House, Coggeshall Jewelers, Roberto’s, It’s All Hair, Knotty Dog, Heart and Soul, Greenvale Vineyards, Sakonnet Vineyards, Trinity Rep, i Boutique, 1776 Liquors, Bristol Yoga Studio, and Silpada (Sheila Morris-Sardinha).

Thank you to everyone who made Rock the CAN! 2012 such a great event!

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The East Bay Food Pantry is pleased to announce the first in a series of Healthy Cooking Classes to be held on Friday, February 10^th at 11:00 am in the Franklin Court Community Room on Wood Street in Bristol.  The classes will be taught by Heidi Hetzler, MS, RD, LDN who is the Program Coordinator with the USDA SNAP-Education Department and are open to EBFP clients.

The classes are designed to show how easy it is to prepare a delicious and nutritious meal with ingredients available on food pantry shelves.  The class on February 10^th will feature the recipe “Pasta with Greens and Beans”, which will be prepared on site and then sampled by participants.  As an added bonus, each client participant will receive a bag containing all the ingredients to make the featured recipe at home.  These grocery bags are graciously provided by the East Bay Cares program of the Bristol County Elks.

The EBFP’s current efforts include expanding healthy food options for clients and their children as part of the Access Nutrition Initiative.  The EBFP helps clients increase their understanding of good nutrition and support their use of healthy foods with an array of recipes, food tastings, and now, healthy cooking classes.  The EBFP is energized by the real potential for positive impact this initiative can make in the lives of some of the most vulnerable RI children and their families.

Please email info@eastbayfoodpantry.org or call 401-396-9490 for more information.

Continue reading »]]> Did you know that $10 buys 100 pounds of food for our Food Pantry?

You can make a huge impact with even a small donation.

Donate anytime by clicking the ‘Donate’ paypal link on the right. There, you can donate by Mastercard, Visa, American Express, bank card or paypal account.

Thank you for your support.

$10 buys 100 pounds of food!

 

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The EBFP Staff and Volunteers are shopping, organizing, and preparing to give out 300 Christmas Meal baskets to clients on Monday, December 19th between 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. The baskets will contain all the fixings for a nice holiday meal, as well as a gift card that can be used to purchase a turkey, ham, roast, etc. The First Congregational Church in Bristol is graciously donating approximately 100 baskets and the remaining 200 needed will be assembled at the pantry on Sunday, December 18th at 11:00am.

We will also be distributing gifts for 260 children who are members of our client families. This will be happen in the Franklin Court Community Room at the same time at the meal basket distribution. Gift collection is being organized by Dyan Vaughn and her daughter Cara Beller, who are busily collecting gift donations from many businesses and organizations such as the Bristol Post Office, The Toy Shop, Blithewold, Barrington Books, Trane, Tri-Mack Plastics, Ladies Fire Auxiliary, and many others along with numerous individuals. Thank you to everyone who is participating in these efforts!