We Serve All The East Bay
Anyone living in the East Bay of RI can access food at our food pantry. The towns we serve are:
- Barrington
- Bristol
- East Providence (Riverside and Rumford)
- Little Compton
- Middletown
- Newport
- Portsmouth
- Tiverton
- Warren
Food Programs
Food insecurity among Rhode Island families is a real and urgent social issue – one that East Bay Food Pantry addresses with compassion, expertise, and innovation.
All our food programs are designed around our award-winning Access Nutrition initiative. Clients from the East Bay area can utilize one or more of our client-choice food programs, making their own selections from the available food based upon household size and nutritional guidelines.
Click below for more information on our programs.
We offer fresh food (produce, bread, etc.) to our clients every Friday.
Although this is a year-round program, we make a special effort to partner with local farms and gardeners to provide local, seasonal produce during the growing season. We are committed to getting produce and bread to our clients in its freshest and most nutritious state.
Recent COVID-related programs to address the nutrition needs of school-aged children are changing, creating real challenges for East Bay families. Our Food4Kids program is designed to fill the nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need when they are not receiving meals through school or daycare.
In accordance with our Access Nutrition Initiative, the program focuses on nutritious foods such as eggs, low-fat milk, yogurt, whole grains, and fresh fruit.
Without proper nutrients, seniors are at risk of increased disability, decreased resistance to infections, deteriorating mental health, longer hospital stays, and chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Registered seniors can receive a supplemental box of nutritious food once a month.
Homebound individuals facing food-insecurity have particular challenges meeting their nutritional needs. Their food choices are limited not only by the cost of healthy, high-quality food, but also by their lack of mobility. Poor nutrition can exacerbate chronic diseases , worsen disabilities, decrease resistance to infection, and cause a deterioration of mental health.
Clients interested in participating in the Mobile Pantry program can call (401) 396-9490 for more information.
The East Bay Food Pantry is located just around the corner from the Franklin Court Assisted Living building. Many of the residents there are low-income, and after paying for room and board, there is very little left over to meet their other living expenses. We developed our Mobile Cart Program to provide fresh fruit, snacks, and personal care items to those residents who need a little extra help.
Mobile Cart delivers items right to the Franklin Court Assisted Living facility once a month to make it easy for residents to access the program.
What To Expect
Signing In
Sign-in with the check-in volunteer. Always bring your photo ID and client card.
Sign Up
New clients are welcome to register in the office any Wednesday between 10am and 6pm. Please bring a photo ID with address (and a bill if the address is not current) for every adult an official document for every child (SS card, birth certificate, health care card, etc.)
Shop
A volunteer will assist you as YOU pick out the food from our client-choice food programs, based on your family size. Please bring your own bags!
Any Questions? Please call us at (401) 396-9490.
Food Experience
Our Access Nutrition Initiative is about more than just making healthy food available. We also strive to incorporate nutrition consciousness into the culture of EBFP.
We offer multiple opportunities each year for our clients, staff, and volunteers to increase their nutrition knowledge and learn new ways to incorporate healthy foods into their diets. We leverage partnerships with the RI Community Food Bank and SNAP Ed to bring nutritionists into our facility to offer classes and workshops as well as healthy food tastings. We also make a variety of nutritious recipes available featuring seasonal produce and healthy pantry staples we have available. And, we include a variety of printed nutrition materials in our client resource center. As we make decisions about programming and food purchases, we strive to always consider the health of our clients.
“The people here are very friendly and helpful. It’s always great to come to this pantry, and I’m happy they are here to help my family.”
“You have a lot of healthy foods, and that makes all the difference! Your recipes are helpful too. We are so grateful for the East Bay Food Pantry and Thrift Store. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to make it. I tell everybody to go to the East Bay Food Pantry if they need help. You make me feel like family!”
“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”