Newman Congregational Church, UCC
100 Newman Avenue
PO Box 4764
Rumford, RI  02916
Tel: (401) 434-4742                Fax: (401) 434-0236
Copyright © 2008 Newman Congregational Church.
All Rights Reserved.
Bread of Life Food Pantry

Open the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month

September 14th & 28th
October 12th & 26th
November 9th & 23rd
December 14th & 28th

May 19, 2010 Update

Bread of Life Food Pantry - Our First Year

In April, the Bread of Life Food Pantry completed its first year of operation.  The pantry is a joint effort of six East Providence churches - Bethany Church of the Nazarene, Church of the Epiphany, Evangelical Covenant Church, Haven United Methodist Church, Newman Congregational Church and St. Margaret Church.  The pantry is located here at Newman.

Many people in our community have been brought together by its mission.  During the first 12 months, 749 different households representing 2,213 individuals came to the pantry to receive food and 144 volunteers were there to assist them.  In total, the pantry recorded 1,474 household visits and provided food for 4,279 people. Eighty-five percent of our clients were from East Providence and 40 percent were children.

Many resources to support the pantry have been brought together as well. In addition to the regular food drives conducted at each of the six churches that support the pantry, 45 individuals and organizations contributed money, 25 individuals and organizations conducted food drives and three grants were awarded to us. We are amazed and grateful for the exceptional level of community-minded spirit that has made this ministry possible.

As we begin, our second year of operation, our commitment to help those in need in our community remains strong and thus our reliance on everyone's continued support remains as well. Please keep the pantry and its important mission in mind. At present, an average of 160 families visit each month, thus requiring the pantry to supply food for approximately 500 people.   You can help in any of three ways:

1)        Make a monetary donation: As a member agency of the Rhode Island Community        Food Bank, the pantry can buy food at greatly discounted prices.  By making a $10        donation, you will enable us to buy 100 pounds of food, enough to fill 10 grocery        bags. Checks should be made out to "Newman Congregational Church" with        "Bread of Life Food Pantry" written on the memo line.

2)        Participate in Newman's food drives: By donating the specific foods requested by        the pantry each month in our church newsletter, you will be supplying the pantry        with items that we are not always able to procure from the RI Community Food        Bank.

3)        Sign up to volunteer: By working alongside members of the other churches who        support the pantry and by assisting the clients who visit the pantry, you will get to        know some nice people in your community that you never knew before.

The Bread of Life Food Pantry gives and receives in wonderful ways.  We encourage everyone to join us in this remarkable happening.

The Bread of Life Steering Committee



Volunteer Opportunity

WE SHARE is a service organization based in Riverside that receives donations of bread and other food from local grocery stores and distributes these items among pantries and soup kitchens throughout Rhode Island.  The Bread of Life Food Pantry has benefited directly from the efforts of WE SHARE, receiving 100 loaves of bread each time we have a pantry opening.  WE SHARE is looking for volunteers to work weekdays mornings helping to distribute their food.  Those interested should have vans or trucks and two people paired together as a delivery team works best.  Please contact Maurice Holmes at mholmesjr@aol.com or 433-3192.



Food items currently needed for September are:


Also, during the summer months the Bread of Life food pantry welcomes donations of vegetables from your home gardens.  Donations can be dropped of at Newman church at the corner of Newman and Pawtucket Avenues on the day of the pantry openings (July 13, July 27, August 10, August 24, September 14 and September 28th) from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM or from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.  we can only accept produce on the day of the pantry openings due to limited storage and to assure the produce is at its freshest.  Refrigeration will be available for items that require it.  Thank you for sharing your crops with our pantry clients!