Providing hunger relief services in the East Bay community

Today's Hours:
Food Pantry: Demo Text
Thrift Shop: Demo Text
Food Pantry
Thrift Shop
Both Closed
Monday: 10am-4pm
Tuesday: 10am-4pm
Wednesday: 10am-6:30pm
  • Guest choice
  • Pre-bagged
  • Online order pick-up
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 10am-3pm
  • Pre-bagged
  • Online order pick-up
Fresh Food Fridays
  • Guests may shop every Friday for produce and bread
  • Offerings vary each week.
Food4Kids
  • 10am – Noon
  • Guests may shop every week
Food4Seniors
  • 10am – Noon
  • REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Mobile Cart
  • Franklin Court Assisted Living Residents Only
  • 2nd and 4th Fridays 9:30-10:30am
Saturday: 10am-4pm
Sunday: Closed
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By clicking “Accept,“ you agree to our website's cookie use.
Easy Bay Food Pantry & Thrift Shop
2009
  • EBFP is established as an outreach of the First Congregational Church in Bristol in response to a recognition of growing need in the area.

  • Received non-profit status in December, operating as an independent organization that included (as it does today) a food pantry supported by a thrift shop.
2010
  • Added a voucher program for families/individuals in need of Thrift Shop items.

  • Developed the Access Nutrition Initiative to improve healthy food options in our pantry and encourage healthy choices through education and community engagement. The Access Nutrition Initiative has grown to the point where we now spend at least 95% of our food purchasing dollars on healthy foods.
2011
  • Added Fresh Food Friday to provide weekly access to fresh produce and bread. Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and greens make up approximately ¼ of the food we distribute.
2012
  • Developed our Food4Kids program to provide supplementary breakfast and lunch foods for kids 0-17 to ensure they have the nutrition they need, especially during weekends and school vacations when they may lose access to meals through school or daycare.

  • Partnered with SNAP Ed to provide monthly cooking classes (later we transitioned to partnering with the Bristol Health Equity Zone to provide monthly cooking classes).
2015
  • Became a Core member of the Bristol Health Equity Zone (BHEZ) and a member of the BHEZ Steering Committee.
2016
  • Partnered with the RI Community Food Bank (RICFB), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and RI Division of Elderly Affairs to provide monthly Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) boxes for low-income seniors.
2017
  • Developed our Mobile Pantry program to deliver groceries to homebound individuals and families in need.

  • Became the RI Community Food Bank Anchor Agency for the East Bay area due to our size, leadership, and consistently exemplary performance.
2018
  • Began our Farm2Pantry program to grow additional fresh produce for Fresh Food Fridays and our Food Pantry.
2019
  • Developed our Mobile Cart program to deliver supplementary food and personal care products to residents in Franklin Court Assisted Living.
2020
  • Began providing pre-bagged food due to Covid restrictions. When we returned to guest-choice programming, we retained the option of pre-bagged Food Pantry and Food4Kids food for those guests who prefer it.
2021
  • Developed Online Ordering to combine the convenience of pre-bagged food with greater choice and a regularly updated inventory.

  • Partnered with Hugh-Cole School to provide food deliveries to families unable to access the Food Pantry due to transportation or language barriers.
2023
  • EBFP sees its largest year yet, both in terms of amount of food distributed and thrift shop revenue. All food programs grew to accommodate increased participation.

Food Programs

We offer many options to ensure that our guests have access to fresh, healthy food.

Learn More

Donations

There are so many ways to help! Your donation of money, food, and thrift shop items goes a long way.

Donate Now

Thrift Shop

Come browse our selection of clothing, household items, and more! All proceeds support the pantry.

Learn More

Working to fight food insecurity

East Bay Food Pantry and Thrift Shop has been serving the community since 2009. In 2024, we distributed a total of 403,574 meals, more than any other year since we opened our doors.

Meals distributed in 2024

More meals distributed in 2024 than any other year since we opened in 2009!

Who We Are

At East Bay Food Pantry, our mission is to engage, educate, and empower East Bay in creating a hunger-free community.

Our “client choice” food programs are all grounded in our Access Nutrition Initiative, providing healthy food choices and nutrition education to address inequalities of access to healthy foods. We strive to provide a consistent inventory of whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, and high-quality protein and dairy items.

Our thrift shop directly supports the food pantry, and we have a huge selection of high-quality items for incredibly low prices. It’s never the same store twice!

“The people here are non-judgmental. They meet people where they are and give them the help they need.”

– Krista

“EBFP has helped me as a single mom of two children. I work part-time and attend school to improve my career prospects so that my children can have a better future. Thank you to EBFP for all of the needed food support that you have given my family.”

– EBFP Guest

“EBFP helps ensure that I can feed my kids healthy foods. Without EBFP’s Food for Kids program my children certainly would not have access to so many nutritious items.”

– EBFP Guest