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
Easy Bay Food Pantry & 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.
Donate

Make a donation today!

Food Donations

There are many ways that you can assist East Bay Food Pantry. One way to help is by donating healthy food to our food pantry. Click below for more information about food we need, food we can take, food drives, our Grow a Row program, and food we can’t take.

Donations can be dropped off any time the food pantry or thrift shop is open.

Click For Important Information
We are always happy to accept food
Many chronic health conditions can be improved with good nutrition. We appreciate donations of healthy foods!


Food we currently need:

  • Pasta
  • Rice
  • Oatmeal
  • Canned tuna and chicken
  • Canned meals (ravioli, chili)
  • Crackers
  • Soup
  • Dry goods only

Personal care we currently need: 

  • Tampons
  • Adult diapers 
  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste
Food & Fund Drives

Thank you for your interest in organizing a Food & Fund drive to benefit the East Bay Food Pantry. Food drives are most helpful when they focus on meeting the existing needs at the Pantry (see Current Needs tab) and fund drives (monetary gifts and gift cards) are the most efficient way to help. Two reasons for this are: (1) we often are able to source products at lower costs than the typical consumer and (2) they give us the ability to purchase food as needed which allows for better inventory control in a tight space.

If you do organize a Food & Fund Drive on our behalf, we ask that you contact our Food Programs Manager, Jocelyn King, to notify her of your timing and to schedule the drop-off.

Thank you so much for your support!

Food & Fund Drives

Grow a Row is a way for home gardeners as well as farms to grow and donate produce to people in need. Fresh produce is an essential component of a healthy diet, but is not donated frequently enough to supply demand at the East Bay Food Pantry. Grow a Row is an excellent vehicle to bridge communities, build relationships, and provide low income people with access to fresh, local produce which is a crucial component to our Access Nutrition Initiative.

Produce is available for our clients every Wednesday and Friday during our Food Pantry and Fresh Food Friday programs.

Who Donates the Produce?

* Farmers and gardeners throughout the East Bay are encouraged to participate. This is a great program to begin with your children! In addition, we have formed partnerships a variety of local farms and community gardens and are grateful for the gorgeous produce they graciously share with our clients.

* Whether you grow an extra row, dig up your entire yard, plant a tomato in a container, or organize a collective donation from your community garden, we appreciate your contribution!

Who Receives the Produce?

* The East Bay Food Pantry serves clients from all over the East Bay. Be assured that every Wednesday and Friday the East Bay Food Pantry can use your clean, fresh, home grown produce!

Do I Need to Sign Up?

No sign up is necessary. Just bring us your produce any Wednesday or Friday morning. If you would like more information please contact us by phone or email.

Food/Items We Can’t Take

The health and safety of our clients is our top priority. As an organization regulated by the RI Department of Health and the RI Community Food Bank, there are some items we are unable to take from individuals.

• Homemade foods – We are unable to accept homemade canned items, baked goods, or other foods produced in unlicensed kitchens.
• Refrigerated and frozen foods – We are only able to accept these perishable foods directly from businesses licensed by the Department of Health
• Medications
• Alcohol

Thrift Shop Donations

Give back to the community with your tax deductible donations. We accept donations of clothing, shoes and accessories for the whole family, housewares, home décor, small appliances, linens, tools, antiques and vintage treasures.

Click For Important Information

Please Take Note…
  • All donations must be dropped off when we are open. Items left when we are not open not only present a safety hazard for our neighbors, but often need to be discarded after being exposed to the elements.
  • Please help us keep our costs down and our neighbors happy by donating only during business hours.
  • We do not accept donations of large appliances, old computers, TVs, video & cassette tapes, mattresses, baby equipment and stuffed animals.