A Community of Giving
Message from the Manager
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. The recent SNAP crisis and government shutdown have impacted the lives of hundreds of our North Kingstown neighbors, creating a surge in demand for food assistance unlike anything we’ve experienced.
Yet despite long lines and growing need, our community rose to the challenge. Donations poured in, and once again, Thanksgiving proved no exception. Schools delivered hundreds of pounds of food, local businesses helped cover essential costs, and dozens of volunteers stood out in the cold to ensure everyone was served. This year, we served 502 North Kingstown families, our highest number ever.
We are constantly reminded of how remarkable this community is. It may sound cliché, but we truly couldn’t fulfill our mission without each of you. This season reminds us what’s possible when we come together, and I for one will hold onto that spirit every day of the year.
Kristin Jahne, Pantry Manager
RI Hope Award
Last week, the NK Food Pantry was honored to receive the RI Hope Award at the Statehouse from the Alliance for Nonprofit Impact and United Way of Rhode Island.
We were thrilled to stand alongside dozens of other nonprofit leaders and volunteers who help strengthen the RI community every single day. Thank you so much to our local representatives and community for the recognition!
Pictured from L to R: Congressman Gabe Amo ; Kim Page, NK Food Pantry President; Kristin Jahne, NK Pantry Manager; RI State Senator Bridget Valverde; Representative Seth Magaziner
Recent Construction Images
Construction of our new addition and expansion continues into its fifth month. The photo below shows our new storage area with new walk-in fridge and freezer!
Make sure to take a look at the progress with every newsletter we send out. Also, follow the progress and keep updated on our NK Food Pantry Facebook and Instagram pages.
Pantry Happenings
The fall season yields such an assortment of unique food and monetary drives, along with our annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution. Shown below is a sampling of the many ways our community continues to help us help our neighbors in need:
The Kayak Centre - Co-owners Matt and Jeff held their Annual Witches Paddle event in Wickford - donated a check for $10,000
Neighborhood Food Drives - Mike and Vicki from Signal Rock neighborhood held one of many drives this fall and donated hundreds of pounds of food
Innovate Karate - Held a Kick-a-Thon event to raise money for the pantry
Thanksgiving Food Preparations and Distribution - Betsy represents one of the many volunteers who donated their time and effort to prepare and distribute food for our clients for the Thanksgiving weekend
So many great things are happening here. Thank you to our local community for your continued support of the Pantry!
Feeding Our Community, Building Hope
Capital Campaign
We are so grateful for the support of Jules Wagner. Not only are they and their partner longstanding annual fund donors, they were also part of the first individual donors to support the Capital Campaign to start our campaign off to a great start last year!
Reflecting on what motivated their support for our expansion and renovation project, Jules shared, “In addition to our annual contribution to the NK Food Pantry (a household tradition of ours since March 2020), my partner and I were inspired to contribute to the Capital Campaign because we felt it was the least we could do, to contribute to the strength of our community.
We didn't want the efforts of our community leaders and volunteers to be held back in their vision of serving the community for lack of funds. Contributing to the Capital Campaign is the least we could do, blessed as we are to be in our prime earning years for our careers. I also took advantage of my employer's matching gift program, to make our donation even bigger!
I absolutely credit North Kingstown with giving me such a firm foundation as a kid here, to have the fulfilling life I now have. I'm happy to continue to invest in the community, so more generations thrive, through the inevitable ups and down.
By supporting the NK Food Pantry and the Capital Campaign - we're helping manifest the community we want to live in, where we look out for and support each other.”
Jules – we APPRECIATE you!
If you would like to help support our expansion, please click the link:
Remembering Linda Adams
Long time volunteer Linda Adams dedicated her time and heart to helping our neighbors and making our long-running Senior Bag program possible.
We share this news of her passing with sadness and gratitude for all she gave.
Reliable and hardworking, she led our Senior Program and made sure those who needed support received it with care and consistency. Her strong commitment and deep sense of responsibility have made a lasting impact on our Pantry and the people we serve. We want to recognize Linda for her years of service - she truly made a difference.