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Local food pantries and meal programs urge funds as need climbs
Summary
Johnny Cake Center, Market at St. Peter’s and Meals on Wheels described rising demand and asked the council for continued or increased support, citing nearly 9,000 pantry visits at Johnny Cake and thousands of meal deliveries statewide.
Several presenters at the March 12 South Kingstown budget workshop focused on food insecurity and nutrition programs, asking the council to sustain or increase town grants as demand grows.
Kate Brewster, chief executive officer of the Johnny Cake Center for Hope, requested $30,000 — the same allocation as last year — and said the center provided some form of assistance to more than 2,000 people last year, with close to 9,000 visits to its food pantry. Brewster told the council roughly 70% of the people served are South Kingstown residents and warned that upcoming SNAP and Medicaid changes could increase demand.
A representative of Market at St. Peter’s asked for $2,500 to support weekly distributions operated out of St. Peter’s Church; the presenter said Market served about 4,000 guest visits last year and that roughly 53% of guests come from South Kingstown proper. The group described a volunteer-run operation with a part-time coordinator and noted in-kind facility support from the church.
Amy Garafalo, external affairs and mission advancement director at Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, requested $1,000 for the home-delivered meal program and said partners such as Southern Rhode Island Volunteers support local delivery and safety checks. Garafalo reported that statewide, Meals on Wheels provided thousands of meals last year and that the program served 51 South Kingstown residents and delivered 6,275 meals in 2025.
Presenters asked the council to consider the multiplier effect of relatively small town grants that fund food purchases and delivery infrastructure. Staff reminded applicants that allocation decisions will be made during the council’s budget deliberations beginning with the March 18 preliminary adoption.
Closing note: while requests were specific dollar amounts, the council and staff emphasized that final awards will be set in subsequent budget sessions.
