“feed the future” school food pantry program

We Share Hope’s Feed the Future School Food Pantry initiative was formed when a Providence educator contacted We Share Hope on behalf of his food insecure students. He told us that although the school had a small shelf of nonperishable food items, it was very hard to keep it stocked, as many students needed food for nights and weekends. This project is another step toward reducing barriers to accessing food, and targets one of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable age groups: students.

From there, the Feed the Future School Food Pantry initiative was born.

Using data gathered by the Rhode Island Department of Education, We Share Hope identified the five highest need districts in Rhode Island (Central Falls, Providence, Woonsocket, Newport, and Pawtucket.) In these districts, at least 61% of students are classified as “economically disadvantaged.” Although students receive breakfast and lunch at school, many experience a meal gap at night, on weekends, and during school vacations. To address this need, We Share Hope provides schools with the infrastructure to create and host its own onsite food pantry. This includes appliances, shelving, and biweekly food deliveries.

The goal of school-based food pantries is to ease the stress associated with food insecurity so students can show up for school well-nourished and ready to learn.

We’re grateful to our partners for helping us make this happen!