5Q: Andrew Schiff

CEO, Rhode Island Community Food Bank

JOHN A. LAHTINEN | Contributing Writer

1Has the need for food and support increased or decreased this year? During the past year, the need for food assistance in Rhode Island remained high. As people continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic, many individuals and families are struggling and need help putting food on the table. By the end of our fiscal year this past June, we had distributed a record 15.1 million pounds of food. That’s 1.3 million more than during the previous year and 3.5 million more than in 2019. Although a challenge for the organization and our network of member agencies [to meet the demand], we managed to remain strong and focus on providing healthy food to people in need.

2What has the community support for the food bank been like? The response from the community has been overwhelming. From the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, individuals and businesses donated generously to the food bank. Our community of donors and friends understood that as the economy became more stressed and workers experienced unemployment or reduced employment, the need for food assistance would increase. At the same time, the food donations from retailers and other sources dropped off. As you can remember, there were times when there wasn’t enough food on grocery store shelves so there certainly wasn’t any extra for businesses to give away. We increased the amount of food we purchased, and with the support we received from our donors, we met the heightened level of demand.

3What have been some of the silver linings that have emerged for the food bank during the pandemic? What have you learned? One of the most critical learnings from the pandemic is that providing people with direct benefits really does reduce food insecurity. Federal relief efforts that expanded unemployment and [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits provided recipients with funds to purchase the food they need. Yes, they still relied on food pantries, but they could also shop for items that were not always available like milk or eggs, meat and poultry. People had more options and their food purchases supported local businesses. 4 What challenges is the food bank still facing and how is the food bank responding to those challenges? As we head into the fall, many of the pandemic relief funds Rhode Islanders relied on will be coming to an end and we expect the number of people impacted by food insecurity to rise again. Fortunately, our donors continue to give in extraordinary ways, and we’ve stocked up on critical items such as rice, cereals and canned goods. Like everyone else, we worry that there will be a resurgence of COVID-19 that may affect our ability to maintain food distribution at these increased levels. We are always looking at how we can best complete our work efficiently and effectively while maintaining the safety of our guests, volunteers and staff. 5 What is your outlook for the food bank looking ahead to the rest of 2021 and into next year? We anticipate the need for food assistance to increase as we head into the fall and winter months. The end or reduction of federal COVID-19 relief benefits will have a huge impact on working Rhode Islanders, and many will be left struggling and seeking help from our member agencies. With the end of the eviction moratorium, thousands of our neighbors will have to make tough choices between paying their rent and buying food. And, there is the unknown factor of COVID-19. We can’t predict whether that will again wreak havoc with the economy and the way we live our lives every day. But, with the support of our donors, the food bank and its member agencies will continue our efforts to address the needs of everyone facing hunger and food insecurity. n

‘With the end of the eviction moratorium, thousands of our neighbors will have to make tough choices between paying their rent and buying food.’