FeedRI Raises $30,000 for Rhode Island School Food Pantries
FeedRI’s Inaugural Field to Fork Farmers Market Raises $30,000 for School Food Pantries
200 guests gathered to enjoy partnerships between Rhode Island farms and local chefs to support FeedRI’s Feed the Future program
FeedRI is proud to announce that its inaugural Field to Fork Farmers Market raised $30,000 to support Feed the Future, the organization’s school food pantry program.
The sold-out event, held August 19 at the Johnson & Wales University Culinary Arts Museum in Providence, welcomed 200 attendees and brought together 17 Rhode Island farms and 17 local chefs, restaurants and culinary partners for an evening celebrating the state’s food community while supporting families facing food insecurity.“The response to Field to Fork was incredible, and we’re so grateful to everyone who helped make the event a success,” said Rhonda Lapham, Executive Director, FeedRI. “It was great to see so many people come together to support FeedRI and the work we’re doing in schools across Rhode Island. We’re especially thankful to the farmers, chefs, sponsors and volunteers who made the evening possible.”
Throughout the evening, guests sampled locally inspired bites created through pairings of Rhode Island farms with chefs, restaurants and culinary partners, and were able to meet and mingle with the farmers, food producers and culinary professionals behind the dishes.Featured pairings included Under the Sun Farm and Chef Jason Authier; Brandon Family Farm and Sarcastic Sweets; Lucky Dogs Farm and Pianta; Franklin Farm and Johnson & Wales University; Walrus & Carpenter Oysters and Paula’s; Wright’s Dairy Farm and Big Feeling; Ocean State Shellfish Cooperative and Little Sister; Radical Roots Farm and Waterman Grille; and Growing Hope Farm and Sprout & Lentil, among others.
FeedRI thanked Johnson & Wales University for hosting the event, along with sponsors Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, Bileau Built, BlueCross BlueShield, The Masonic Grand Lodge Charities of Rhode Island, Inc., Landmark Medical Center, Roland & Cynthia Jacob, East Bay Printing & Copying, Gordon Food Service and Falvey Linen Supply, as well as the participating farms, chefs, donors and volunteers.Proceeds will benefit Feed the Future, FeedRI’s school food pantry program, which currently operates 21 school food pantries across Rhode Island, with at least five additional locations planned by the end of 2026.
About FeedRI:
Founded in 2008 as We Share Hope, FeedRI is a Rhode Island-based food rescue organization dedicated to creating sustainable solutions to food insecurity. Its mission is to rescue surplus food from industry partners to relieve hunger and revive communities.
Powered by more than 100 volunteers, FeedRI advances its mission through three primary programs: Feed the Future, which establishes and maintains 21 food pantries in high-need schools; Hope on the Rhode, which connects surplus food with nonprofit and community organizations across the state; and Hope Market, an accessible, budget-friendly marketplace in Rumford whose proceeds support FeedRI’s statewide food rescue and distribution efforts. FeedRI supports more than 3,500 Rhode Islanders each month.
FeedRI is located at 310 Bourne Avenue, Building 70, Rumford, RI 02916. Phone: 401-638-4673. Website: www.feedri.org.
