Food pantry usage has intensified, and the volunteers running them are reaching out for year round help as they expect the need will continue to rise. Some have been able to gain a helping hand by taking to social media, but it’s not enough. More and more people are in need of help — from full time workers, single people, elderly, to larger families — and they don’t just need help around the holidays.

While social media plays a key role in raising awareness of food assistance, it also raises an important question: Will this increased visibility help reduce the stigma surrounding the need for help?

“I don’t qualify for SNAP,” says Vicky Trail, a lifelong resident of Warren. “They say I make too much,” she adds. A single mother of two, Trail works full time but often must put in overtime to cover her bills. She relies on a local food pantry, especially toward the end of the month when her rent is due. Rising rent costs and increases in food prices have made her dependent on the pantry to make ends meet.

While food banks typically serve low-income families, some do not have income qualifications. This means people who don’t qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program but still struggle to afford food can access food pantries without needing the usual documentation. Trail is one of these individuals.

Data confirms the rise in demand

The 2024 Status Report on Hunger from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, released on Nov. 25, shows that food pantry usage has reached record highs. This significant increase raises important questions about the new visitors.

“Surveys show that the majority of food pantry users have incomes below the poverty line,” says Andrew Schiff, CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “Two-thirds of those receiving assistance are enrolled in SNAP, an income-tested program.”

Many pantries, like the Aquidneck Food Pantry in Portsmouth, have no income requirements. “We track visits for grant purposes, but we don’t turn anyone away,” says Ann Pierce, senior vice president of the pantry. Over the past four years, she has noticed a growing number of people in need. “Rent is astronomical, and it’s pushing people over the edge,” she says. “It’s sad.”

Pierce believes the demand for food assistance will continue to rise as food prices remain high. “Because there are no requirements to visit the pantry, more and more people are coming,” she adds. The pantry serves a wide variety of individuals, from middle-aged adults to the elderly, and individuals with developmental disabilities. There has been an influx of people from all backgrounds using the pantry in recent years.

What local food pantries are saying

A social media post with a “no requirements” message led to a surge in pantry visitors during Thanksgiving at Aquidneck. “People just kept driving up,” Pierce recalls. “When we asked where they were coming from, we found out a Facebook post had led them here. We didn’t turn anyone away, but we ran out of everything.”

Coreen St. Jean, president and founder of Project Hand Up, which has also seen a sharp increase in demand, posted a plea for donations on Facebook in September 2024 after the pantry was depleted due to higher-than-usual demand. While the post resulted in an outpouring of support, the pantry remains a week-to-week operation. “We used to have a stash of food,” St. Jean says. “Now, we operate on a weekly basis.” The holiday season only intensifies the need. “People can’t afford to buy food,” St. Jean says. “They can’t afford to buy Christmas.”

Emily Mushen, executive director of the East Bay Food Pantry, reports a 30% increase in food pantry usage in November 2024 compared to November 2023. “Working families who used to be able to afford food on their income just can’t anymore,” she explains. She admits, “The food bank is under a lot of strain, especially when it comes to offering a variety of foods.”

Wendy Baker, director of Saint Mary of the Bay Food Pantry, notes a significant rise in visitors as well. “We used to have 80 visitors a week, and now we have 180,” she says.

The ‘welfare’ stigma

Having a hard time keeping up with inventory isn’t the only problem facing food pantries. Another challenge is getting more people who need help to actually use the services. Baker says that despite their best efforts to reach as many people as possible, many who need assistance are too embarrassed to ask. “One man drives a long distance so his neighbors won’t see him,” Baker shares.

Pierce of Aquidneck Food Pantry also remarks on this issue. She recalls an encounter with a woman who had just lost her job. “She called me in the morning, explaining that she had never been to a pantry before,” Pierce says. When she arrived at the pantry, she was seen crying in her car. Pierce continues, “I asked her to step out of the car and I gave her a big hug. I told her, ‘Anybody can come here.’ ”

Pay it forward through the holidays and beyond

St. Jean of Project Hand Up says that asking clients to pay $6 for $200 worth of groceries helps give them their dignity back. She encourages them to think of it as a way to “pay it forward” to the next person in need. Every $6 donation goes back into the organization, which helps provide food to the next individual facing hardship.

As the demand for food assistance continues to rise, food pantries will need more donations, and people like Vicky Trail—who work full time but cannot access SNAP benefits—will need help to afford food and, as St. Jean puts it, “afford Christmas.”

Food pantries in the East Bay accepting donations

Barrington

TapIn: 281 County Road, 401-247-1444

Bristol

East Bay Food Pantry: 532 Wood St., 401-396-9490

East Providence

Good Neighbors Pantry: 55 Turner Ave., 401-433-0045

East Bay Community Action Program: 100 Bullocks Point Ave., 401-437-1000

Little Compton

Little Compton Food Bank: 115 East Main Rd, 401-592-0403

Portsmouth

Aquidneck Food Bank: 81 Sprague St., 401-683-3674

Tiverton

East Bay Community Action Program: 1048 Stafford Road, 401-625-5134

Warren

St. Mary of the Bay Church Pantry: 645 Main St., 401-245-7000

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