NORTH SMITHFIELD – A group of residents concerned that SNAP recipients won’t have enough to eat until more federal disbursements come through organized an emergency food drive last week and held a distribution event on Sunday, Nov. 9.
One very generous donation put the group well on their way to helping all those in town who needed it.
The initiative started last week thanks to resident Ann Lilley, who called others she thought might want to get involved, including former town administrator candidate Beth Newberry.
“I think clearly the concern is that there is very limited money for SNAP this month, and people who are on SNAP are going to be struggling until the next disbursement,” Newberry told NRI NOW.
Some 145,000 Rhode Islanders rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, with $29 million sent to benefit cards in the state each month from the federal government, according to the governor’s office. Those who work with low income recipients note that the funding often falls short of what families really need, and this month, disbursements will be significantly less amid federal budget disputes that have led to a government shutdown.
According to Town Administrator Scott Gibbs, 704 SNAP recipients live right in North Smithfield.
“We wanted to kind of make that up a little bit,” said Newberry of the town-based food drive.
She and Lilley called in the volunteers they work with on other town boards to help. Lilley serves on the Parks & Recreation Commission, and brought in former member Cheryl Marandola and current member Malinda Howard, while Newberry serves on the Groundwater Protection Committee, and asked member Cynthia Roberts and the board’s Town Council liaison, Rebecca DeChristofaro, if they’d like to be involved.
Knowing that for many, the need for food is immediate, the group of town ladies quickly launched plans for the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors Emergency Community Food Drive.”
The drive included a GoFundMe campaign for those who’d prefer not to do the shopping, and the news spread quickly via social media and an email chain. In just two days, the online element of the drive brought in $6,380, thanks largely to a $5,000 donation from town residents Bruce and Carol Waterson.
“I think we were all shocked. I almost started sobbing when Ann told me,” said Newberry of the generous contribution. “My immediate thought was, this totally restores my faith in humanity.”
Reached this week, Bruce Waterson said he decided to donate after seeing a post about the drive on Facebook, noting he purchases daffodils every year in Lilley’s effort to beautify the town.
“We don’t want anybody going hungry,” he said.
A write up on the drive noted that no amount of help was too small, and that 100 percent of what was collected would be handed out.
The “helpful neighbors” are collected food items as well, with drop off bins set up inside North Smithfield Town Hall, the North Smithfield Public Library; the North Smithfield Police Station; and the Laurelwood Community Room, available during each location’s operating hours. The group looked for specific items including pasta; jarred sauce; macaroni and cheese; beans; nut butter; canned tomatoes; canned fruit and vegetables; canned soup; cereal; rice and canned meat. Non-perishable foods were collected through Saturday, Nov. 8.
“We’re doing this from Town Hall where there’s no refrigeration,” Newberry explained of the list.
A one-time drive up distribution event took place from that same building, located at 83 Green St., on Sunday.
Newberry said while the event was intended for North Smithfield residents, they did not plan to turn anyone away.
“If there are people that are struggling to eat, we don’t want to be making that call and policing people,” she said.
“Should you need a little extra support from your community this month, we are here,” the campaign noted.
Thursday evening, she and others were headed to BJ’s in Johnston to start some of the shopping, and said that the monetary donations would also be used to provide gift cards to recipients.
It was a way, she noted, to throw a lifeline to anyone struggling. Newberry points to reports of some in the state waiting in miles-long lines for food this month – only to be turned away. With the local generosity, she said she was hopeful that everyone who needs help on Sunday would receive it.
She later told NRI NOW that the group had put together some 200 bags of food for recipients.
“It’s been so touching to see people come together like this,” Newberry said.
Editor’s note: The above article was edited after Sunday’s distribution event.
