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.