Warren food bank receives grant to restock East Bay food pantries

A Warren nonprofit on the frontlines of responding to the pandemic is among the organizations that will share $700,000 in grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund created by the Rhode Island Foundation and United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI).

“As a state, we have begun to shift focus from COVID-19 response to relief and recovery, but even with that positive shift, need in the community continues to grow,” said Neil D. Steinberg, president and CEO of the Foundation. “We are so appreciative of the donors who have provided financial support since the crisis began in March, and will continue to work with charitable Rhode Islanders to support the nonprofit organizations that remain on the frontlines, providing crucial community services.”

We Share Hope in Warren is among the organizations sharing $700,000 in grants. (The full list of awardees and a brief description of what each grant will support is posted here.)

We Share Hope will buy and distribute food. The organization provides food, personal care items and cleaning supplies to more than 50 churches and charitable organizations from East Providence to Little Compton.

"While the rest of the world slows down, we are busier than ever trying to provide food and other necessities to as many communities as possible. COVID-19 has left many families wondering how they will be able to afford food and how they can safely acquire it," said Cristina McKibbin of We Share Hope.

"We have distributed hundreds of pallets of food to the most vulnerable populations of Rhode Island including low-income individuals, medical staff, the homeless, the home-bound and the elderly. We are still working with our partners to provide them with food on a weekly basis as we have for years, but due to the pandemic, we are also taking on many new institutions," she said.

“As we – the nonprofit community – focus more and more on stabilizing households and families, it has become increasingly clear the depth of relief our neighbors need to begin to regain their footing,” said UWRI president and CEO, Cortney Nicolato. “We realize the road ahead may be long, but there’s also no question that without the incredible generosity of so many, that road would be much longer.”

With the latest round of grants, the COVID-19 Response Fund has awarded nearly $8 million to nonprofits across Rhode Island since March 27. Donors have already contributed just over $8.5 million since the crisis began.