[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6520962,"mediaKeyId","5116028-30960223a8fd73d987df077959c3af81","parentId",5116028,"title","North Smithfield food pantry describes space, privacy and equipment needs for proposed multigenerational center","audioSeconds",2805,"startMs",253000,"endMs",3058000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116028-30960223a8fd73d987df077959c3af81&start=253&end=3058","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116028-30960223a8fd73d987df077959c3af81/thumbnail_253000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6520962/North-Smithfield/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/North-Smithfield-food-pantry-describes-space-privacy-and-equipment-needs-for-proposed-multigenerational-center","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520962-2e35435e02d83c2b6f1b00209c2baae4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196270&Signature=S7odRGHSVPsXW3SlV6QPKPteMwtbSU73LKY-7Pd-pPfSwYj9FxGs0FFQB~gfewdm4LEih-ZmjdUMljwxkwB7twywX577jYB9QT7PxU21N3CxoOEv~ixWqwtaITV4gO8-D2vHSroJBPUkLqGcJ3mT41PSZqPMGvkaRauPLC0A7OmtthjOepsW5h2pzN0lGct0kXTxJyauxu59ayddowjV02I-PBbkg7Ifjlkt1nag3srDEwWNlEisBqZMVXNd5Pb0XdcJ-~l6ItU4ojuMfgAo31sEcsMOPcC0MQF-21604K6m0UdxfEJNhbTd3A6FQwWe3RbKzzcJedilu4hMzwBYTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town Council of North Smithfield RI","date","2025-06-30T23:42:10Z","article","Darlene McGaw, president of the board of the North Smithfield Food Pantry, told the Hellwell Multigenerational Building Committee on July 1 that the pantry needs a space larger than a single multipurpose room, with room for storage, client shopping, and refrigeration.

McGaw said the pantry operates on a volunteer basis out of a church basement and is open four times a month — the last two Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the last two Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. She told the committee the pantry keeps three freezers and two refrigerators and currently contributes about $400 a year toward electricity at the church.

The committee is developing plans for a Hellwell multigenerational center with architect BH Plus A. Committee members asked whether the pantry could be located in the new building and how privacy and traffic would be managed if the center is active throughout weekdays. McGaw said having a separate entrance would afford clients more confidentiality: “Having a separate entrance would allow for some degree of privacy and confidentiality for our customers,” she said. She added that the pantry does not now serve prepared food but does accept frozen meats and dairy donations.

Committee members suggested several design options, including keeping the pantry at the church and using the center for supplemental storage, or creating a rectangular room in the center with an interior storage area and a separate client entrance. One committee member proposed fitting pantry storage and refrigeration into approximately 650 square feet; another said the existing church pantry footprint is about 1,300 square feet and recommended considering an 800-square-foot alternate in the building plan.

McGaw said the pantry has served North Smithfield for about 15 years and operates as a not-for-profit distinct from the host church. She emphasized that the pantry’s bylaws limit regular service to North Smithfield residents, but volunteers will not turn away someone who needs immediate assistance. McGaw and other speakers discussed informal collaborations with nearby pantries, including St. John’s, and said volunteers sometimes bring garden produce to the pantry during growing season.

The committee discussed logistics including deliveries — currently made by volunteers in personal vehicles — and accessibility for customers with mobility challenges; McGaw said the pantry uses a mobile chair lift to move heavy donations downstairs at the church. She also raised electrical needs for the refrigeration units and said the pantry does not require office space or a commercial kitchen for its present operations.

Committee members agreed to seek client feedback before proceeding and to ask the architect at the July 17 finishes meeting to consider reconfiguring two rooms in the proposed design so a larger rectangular space could be subdivided for storage and client area. The committee noted the project must balance creating a “lively” multigenerational center used daily with dedicating space that would be used by the pantry mainly four times per month.

The committee also told McGaw the door is open to include the pantry in a future phase if it is not incorporated in phase 1, and encouraged the pantry board to consult its clientele before the committee’s August meetings.

The discussion included direct statements about costs, operations and access but did not include a formal vote or final decision about the pantry’s placement in phase 1 of the building project.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HALLIWELL MULTIGENERATIONAL BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING 7/1/25","oneSentenceSummary","Darlene McGaw, president of the board of the North Smithfield Food Pantry, told the Hellwell Multigenerational Building Committee on July 1 that the pantry needs a space larger than a single multipurpose room, with room for storage, client shopping, and refrigeration.","taxTitle","North Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",79584,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520957,"Committee recommends list of potential funders to town council, seeks account and grant-writer clarity",1397,3188000,4585000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116028-30960223a8fd73d987df077959c3af81&start=3188&end=4585","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116028-30960223a8fd73d987df077959c3af81/thumbnail_3188000.jpg","/articles/6520957/North-Smithfield/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Committee-recommends-list-of-potential-funders-to-town-council-seeks-account-and-grant-writer-clarity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520957-6f97efa4de40a39860431997fb8514ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196270&Signature=g-KgjdP2OWbakkhTAvXSl8tTbgCoHl1GBU1D2upC-0t9jlS3Me4lKR3LKlumH9U-LU2J~0wYE2NQLrPORptAv9jDXcTH8oNmc-J1A~-~m6VgJu~ULZS9H73hc6bowm8ZyVCYcmrXbvk4tI6p5Ctpl8ZCEZTRt3uXk6UnPf5o~~IscPUGP7N4popsuSYNXyUHkSIfRNazbna-lEgQagfK7PEiEn0~Do~eBpyQaFBZah99J3Y5aeLLn0cRxLril1vCV7kJRu80FNdTw7~Ll~vbizQbKyaR51-LSlvvmLiwWcqpOuyHjHfW5Sj4oLnI2wUnOE2FiHoh6pBLj~rLQ8Mrhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A committee motion to recommend a set of funding sources to the town council and the town administration passed unanimously at the July 1 Hellwell Multigenerational Building Committee meeting.

\"I will make a motion that we recommend to the town council the funding sources that have been provided to date,\" said a committee member before listing organizations and programs the committee had identified, including Navigate Credit Union, Walmart, Stop & Shop, USDA programs, Bank of America Foundation, Ameriprise Community Grants, Mondelez International and CVS. A committee member then amended the motion to specify the recommendation go to both the council and the administration; the amendment was seconded and the motion carried with all voting “Aye.”

Committee members said the town must create a dedicated account before broad fundraising can begin. The chair and other members noted that accepting donations via a public crowdfunding tool (a GoFundMe page) would require that funds be routed into a town-held, restricted account and tracked according to state and municipal accounting rules.

Members discussed seeking clarity from the town administrator about whether the town's grant writer can provide guidance on eligible funding streams and how the committee should forward requests. Several members urged following the chain of command: the grant writer is employed by the town and communicates through the town administrator.

The committee discussed next steps and timing. Architect BH Plus A will attend a finishes meeting on July 17; the committee also scheduled subsequent meetings on August 7 (furniture, MEP/FP systems) and August 21 (design-development cost estimate). Members said those dates will inform which grant programs and budget lines are applicable and whether certain elements of the project could be funded from a larger recreation grant the town is pursuing.

Committee members also proposed community outreach opportunities such as a booth at Pumpkin Fest and preparing sponsorship materials (donor tiers and presentation collateral) to share with the town administration so staff can pursue corporate and foundation donors. A member suggested using existing municipal furniture or seeking grants to avoid building-fit-out costs.

The committee did not delegate fundraising authority to the volunteer committee itself; rather, members agreed to gather leads and materials and forward them to the town administrator and council, which will determine whether to amend the committee's enabling resolution or assign staff to implement a fundraising campaign.","The Hellwell committee voted to forward a list of potential funders to the town council and administration, asked the town administrator to confirm a dedicated account for donations (including GoFundMe), and discussed consulting the town's grant writer; committee expects architect meetings July 17 and August 7 to inform next steps.","actionData","errors"]

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North Smithfield food pantry describes space, privacy and equipment needs for proposed multigenerational center

Committee recommends list of potential funders to town council, seeks account and grant-writer clarity