PROVIDENCE, RI - In an effort to help Rhode Islanders in need put food on the table this holiday season, U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined Rhode Island First Lady Stephanie Chafee and volunteers at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank Holiday Meal Drive Open House on Saturday, December 3rd.

“Thanks to the generosity of Rhode Islanders, our area food banks do a remarkable job supporting families in need.  I commend the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and its countless volunteers for the great work they do not just during the holidays, but all throughout the year,” said Reed.  “This initiative will help thousands of hungry Rhode Islanders meet basic nutritional needs and ensure they have food for their families during the holidays.”

This year, the Food Bank set out to deliver 350,000 pounds of food to hungry Rhode Islanders across the state by December 30th. 

Between now and Dec. 30, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank will be accepting donations of non-perishable food every weekday between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at its facility at 200 Niantic Avenue in Providence.  Most needed items include: peanut butter, canned tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, dried or canned beans, pasta, rice, breakfast cereal, and canned soups, stews or chili. For more information, visit www.rifoodbank.org/HolidayMealDrive

More than 60,000 Rhode Islanders now rely on the Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s statewide network of 163 emergency food pantries to help meet their basic food needs.  The need for food assistance in Rhode Island has risen 58% since the start of the recession four years ago.

Last year, Senator Reed helped pass a key child nutrition bill, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, to help increase funding for school meal programs so that more kids will have access to a stable source of nutritious food.  In addition, this year he has signed several letters in support of nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).