North Kingstown Food Pantry Endowment Fund

The North Kingstown Food Pantry “was not much bigger than a closet” at the North Kingstown Methodist Church, when Kimberly Page, attorney, professor, and church member with a desire to help, started volunteering over ten years ago.

As community need for the pantry began to outgrow its space, a committee of civic leaders came to together to establish a board and located a new and larger home for the pantry in the Town’s historic “Little Red Schoolhouse,” built in 1867 and in need of major repairs. An agreement was reached with Town leaders to lease the building for $1 per year, provided appropriate renovations were made. The extensive repairs were completed, made possible through generous donations of funds and services by the community, and in 2013, the pantry opened the doors to its new space.

Now serving over 600 households a month, the pantry provides healthy food and personal care items with only two requirements: be a resident of North Kingstown, and state that you have need. There is no income disclosure, and clients receive a week’s worth of groceries each month. In addition, every Thursday is Farm Fresh Produce Day. “Sandwiches, fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers are distributed on Produce Day . . . we get over a hundred cars lined up and down the street,” says Kim, now Board President, describing the overwhelming response to the pantry’s programs.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim and her board began a review of how they could best steward the pantry’s resources. Although their assets were invested, they sought more clarity and direction for their funds. At the suggestion of a board member, Kim learned of the Rhode Island Foundation. She did her research, and concluded that, by partnering with the Foundation, “we wouldn’t have to manage the endowment and will get the expertise we need to grow our resources . . . making a better investment with a plan that is aligned.”

For Kim, her all-volunteer board, and one paid staff member, the security associated with an organizational endowment built for the long-term is invaluable. “When we were at the church, we would often have bare shelves in the summertime when donations lessened. Knowing we have money put away gives us a sense of peace,” she explains, “and we won’t come upon a day that we can’t feed the people of North Kingstown.”