Events

New Year Brings New Stop & Shop Campaign

YNFP is proud and grateful to have been selected (five times now!) by Stop & Shop for a program to get more Rhode Islanders involved in the fight against hunger.

During January 2025, $1 will go toward funding our food pantry whenever someone buys a bouquet at the Stop & Shop at 1128 Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. In the past, the store at 333 West River Street in Providence has also supported YNFP through this program.

Bloomin' 4 Good! 

Past Events

Toys for Tots

Lights & Sirens International and Mount Hope Community Center showered our neighbors with gifts for the 2024 holiday season, and the Mount Pleasant High School Football Team played Santa, with an assist from YNFP Treasurer and Elf-in-Chief Jacqueline Mane (shown here)!

Season's best and many, many thanks to all of them and all of you! 

Thanks to all those who contributed to YNFP on Giving Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

As the RI Food Bank recently reported, a staggering 38% of Rhode Island households are food insecure. Giving Tuesday is when people across the country pitch in to address such pressing needs. ICYMI, you can still help us do our part for your neighbors. Donate here, and thanks!

Read Our 2024 Annual Appeal Letter

Greetings Supporters,

As the holiday season approaches, we at Your Neighborhood Food Pantry (YNFP) are reaching out to ask for your support. Your generosity is vital in helping us continue our mission of ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry.

Our community faces increasing challenges, with many of our neighbors struggling to put healthy meals on their tables. At YNFP, we are passionate about making a difference, driven by a sense of purpose and commitment to providing nutritious food to those in need. With your help, we can meet this critical need and ensure that everyone has access to wholesome, nourishing meals.

A Year of Impact: What We’ve Accomplished Together
 Thanks to the generosity of individuals like you, YNFP has made remarkable progress in our first year:

These achievements were only possible because of the support from compassionate individuals and partnerships with community-minded organizations. But the need continues to grow, and with it, so does our need for support.

How You Can Make a Difference
 Your monetary donation will have a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve. Every dollar helps us to:

This year, we’ve also launched our Thanksgiving Drive. A donation of $80 - $100 will provide all the fixings for a complete holiday meal for a family in need.

Join Us in Building a Stronger, Healthier Community
 We invite you to consider how your contribution can help us continue our fight against hunger. Your support will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors and strengthen the fabric of our community.

To learn more, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit us at www.ynfp.org. There, you can also join our mailing list and follow us on social media to stay updated on our work.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and for standing with us in the fight to end hunger. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
 Jacqueline Watson-Gardiner
 Executive Director, YNFP

Click here to see a short clip of Thanksgiving 2024 @ YNFP.

Thanksgiving Drive

Thanks to all who donated to YNFP's Thanksgiving Food Drive. With your help, we delivered turkeys and meal kits to over 250 RI families.

As our work continues, feel free to contact Executive Director Jacqueline Gardiner at ynfp22@gmail.com with any questions.

Thanks and happy holidays!

Time to Act

Feeding America is aiming for a million actions against hunger in September, aka #HungerActionMonth! You can be one in a million! Please consider supporting YNFP by volunteering, donating food or contributing funds. You'll be joining our growing Neighborhood Friends Network, and together we can all make a difference. 


What a Party!

YNFP's neighbors came out on June 29 to celebrate YNFP's first anniversary at our Community Barbecue in the Park.

Thanks to those who donated, volunteered, cooked, sang, ate, danced, painted faces, DJ'd, demonstrated martial arts, played cornhole, and contributed clothes to our free flea market. New England Revolution's mascot Slyde the Fox brought a little star power. Hope's Harvest stocked our free farmer's market. And notably, City Councilman Justin Roias spoke to give us hope for continued progress in Ward 4 .

We're also grateful to Larry Shushansky and friends, Washington Trust, bosWell, Oak Street Health, A.A. Mariani & Son Funeral Home, Shaw's Supermarket , Main Street Martial Arts, Wanskuck Library, Quality Rental, the City of Providence  and many others.

We so appreciate you all for making us part of your community during our first year, and we look forward to the next! 

Celebrating our First Year in the Fight Against Hunger

YNFP Board Member Gary Convertino welcomes two of T's Restaurants' finest: Managing Partner Mark Blanchard and Kitchen Manager Khristian Batista, who generously came to cook up pantry staples into delicious noshes for YNFP's First Anniversary Open House.

YNFP Executive Director Jacqueline Watson-Gardiner celebrates YNFP's first year with Operations Director Donver Gardiner.

One Down...

YNFP board members and top management celebrate one year of service to our community (l-r):  Gary Convertino, Sharon Lee Waldman, Jeannette Paris, Zachary Oz, Jacqueline Watson-Gardiner, Jacqueline Mane and Donver Gardiner.

Thanks to all who've helped us succeed in our first year and to those of you who came to celebrate with us!

Thanks! We are so grateful to all who donated to YNFP and those who helped us spread the word on social media during the annual fundraiser, 401GIVES. Thousands of people across Rhode Island gave over $3.5 million to their favorite causes this year, including the fight against hunger. ICYMI, you can support our pantry at any time as a donor or volunteer. We can't say it enough: Thank you for supporting YNFP and our neighbors who depend on it. 

Anti-Hunger Advocacy

In January 2024, YNFP Executive Director Jacqueline Gardiner and Operations Director Donver Gardiner took part in Food Insecurity Awareness Day at the RI State House. They joined the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and RI lawmakers in calling attention to this critical issue and the budget necessary to keep the Food Bank and its partners serving neighbors in need. 

YNFP also showed its support during the Rhode Island Food Policy Council's Good Food Policy Day at the State House in March, where bills have been introduced in 2024 to provide tax credits for food donations, deliver healthy school meals for all children, and legislate other important changes. 

2023: YNFP's First
Year in Review

As 2023 came to a close, we posted this video recapping YNFP's first year as Providence's newest food pantry. Please check it out, and read these reflections on the year from board chairperson Larry Shushansky.

From the day we opened in May 2023 through the end of the year, we served hundreds of households and thousands of family members with tens of thousands of pounds of food from the RI Food Bank and other key partners. 

Thanks to all who've come through our doors, joined in our cause and stayed in our hearts.

Stop & Shop Campaign Supports YNFP in December

YNFP is proud and grateful to have been selected (twice now!) by Stop & Shop for a program to get more Rhode Islanders involved in the fight against hunger.

During December 2023, $1 went toward funding our food pantry whenever someone bought a bouquet at the Stop & Shop at 1128 Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence.

Bloomin' 4 Good! 

YNFP's First Christmas!

YNFP Board Member Jackie Mane

Lights & Sirens Founder Ibn Bakari, who donated toys for our neighbors

Toys for YNFP's families in need

Distributing gifts to pantry-goers

@ the intersection of Hope and hope

YNFP was extremely gratified to be the beneficiary of the 2023 Hope Gives campaign by the Hope Street Merchants Association.

For people shopping the street on Saturday-Sunday, 11/25-26, part of every dollar spent at Kreatelier, LuLi Boutique, and Rhody Craft went toward helping our food pantry serve neighbors in need. Others brought nonperishable food items to donate, at LuLi, Stock Culinary Goods, Henry Bear's Park or J Marcel. And everyone brought hope that we can someday end hunger in RI.

Thanks to Hope Street shoppers and merchants alike during this giving season!

Thank You!

We're so grateful to everyone who 's helped to make our events happen and come to show support of our work.