Spring is Here!
Message from the Manager
The weather may not always feel like spring time, but there is definitely a feel of freshness in the air. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, spring cleaning continues, and we are fully moved into our new building! It was a huge feat to move our entire facility into the newly constructed warehouse, but thanks to our incredible team of volunteers, we are settling in nicely. I’m continually amazed at how adaptable and encouraging our entire community has been throughout this process, from volunteers to clients to donors and everyone in between. Thank you so much for all of your continued support and kindness during this transition period!
Kristin Jahne, Pantry Manager
It (Still) Takes A Village
The SNAP crisis in November 2025, which impacted the lives of hundreds of our North Kingstown neighbors, created a surge in demand for food assistance unlike anything we’ve experienced. Yet despite long lines and immediate need, our community rose to the challenge. Food donations poured in like never before; so much so, that we needed to rent a storage unit to hold it all!
Our amazing volunteers dedicated nearly 150 hours to date checking each and every item in this storage unit. After months of sorting and organizing, we are thankful to have all the food back at the Pantry to give out to clients. We’re especially thankful to the RI National Guard to help bring over the last of the pallets of donations. All told, it was over 700 banana boxes, weighing in nearly 10 tons of food donations!
This influx will help us through our yearly “Spring Slump” of food donations. If you’d like to help, consider coordinating a food or hygiene drive in your neighborhood! Reach out to Kristin here for more details.
Chill Out & Help Out!
We’re so thankful for the support of local businesses to help reduce food insecurity in North Kingstown.
Stop by any Dunkin’ in NK (6166 Post Rd, 6923 Post Rd, 1241 Ten Rod Rd) between April 26 - May 2, and 25¢ of each iced coffee sold will be donated to the NK Food Pantry.
Thank you so much to Dave and the awesome team at Dunkin’ for helping to support our cause!
Nonprofit Excellence Award - 2 Years Running!
We’re thrilled to announce that the NK Food Pantry has won the Nonprofit Excellence Award, two years in a row! Thank you so much to Madeline and the NK Chamber of Commerce for the recognition of behind the scenes work that our staff, volunteers, and active Board of Directors do to feed those in need. We’re proud to be in a community that supports nonprofits and businesses, and look forward to years of continued partnership!
Welcome Jeremy!
We are so excited to welcome Jeremy Colton to the NK Food Pantry staff.
Jeremy is our new Programs & Operations Coordinator, focusing on inventory management, volunteer coordination, and facility maintenance. He spent 30 years in the Navy and served in a variety of leadership positions. Jeremy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Roger Williams University and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from National University. He is originally from Oregon, but after 8 duty stations throughout the United States and Europe, he now calls southern Rhode Island home with his wife and two daughters (and pet bunny!)
Be sure to give him a warm welcome next time you’re at the Pantry!
Settling In
As a reminder, we will temporarily be in our new building addition while the construction team renovates the historic schoolhouse. If you’re visiting us, please park in the large lot (where the OPEN flag is). We are open to donations and serving clients through all programs, including monthly shopping, Produce Day, Vacation Nutrition, and Senior Day.
The full renovation will be complete later this summer, with a ribbon cutting just in time for our 45th birthday! Stay tuned for more details in the upcoming months.
401Gives Recap
As we’ve seen time and again, our community always steps up when we need them. During the 401Gives campaign, a day of giving dedicated to supporting Rhode Island’s nonprofit, we were humbled and thrilled to receive nearly $7,200 from 60 generous donors! Those gifts go directly to buying food that we give out to clients each and every weekday. Thank you to all who donated, supported, or just gave a high five!
