North Kingstown Food Pantry Gets Massive Produce Donation

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — A local fitness center donated hundreds of pounds of garden-grown produce to the North Kingstown Food Pantry.

Ocean State Community Wellness (OSCW), located at 7540 Post Road recently made its sixth food delivery of the summer. The fitness center, which is affiliated with Ocean State Job Lot's nonprofit arm, grew the food in its garden, donating peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, squash and herbs.

"We are so appreciative of the effort that Amy and the Ocean State Community Wellness team has made this summer to grow beautiful produce for the benefit of our community,” said Stephen Souls, the operations manager for the North Kingstown Food Pantry. "From the variety of vegetables to the organized manner in which they are packed and delivered, it’s really been a treat for the individuals we serve."

Amy Shields, a coach and the Active Kids manager for OSCW, created the community garden as part of the organization's commitment to building a healthy community.

During spring, Shields gathered discarded items like wood and wiring to construct the garden and purchased vegetable seeds from a local stand. Children from the Active Kids program participated in the maintenance of the garden, as well as the harvesting, while learning about nutrition, sustainability and hard work.

"We are so proud of the work Amy and her Active Kids have been doing to maintain this garden, which yielded hundreds of pounds of produce for the North Kingstown Food Pantry throughout the growing season," said Kevin Brochu, the executive director for OSCW. "Our mission is simple: To make people in our communities fit for life. Helping to address food insecurity while teaching the youngest members of our community to participate is just one way we are putting those words into practice."