GivingTuesday - helping to feed families in need

On December 1, 2020, East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP) will celebrate GivingTuesday, an annual day of giving that encourages people to do good. As in past years, GivingTuesday kicks off the generosity season by inspiring people to give back not only on December 1, but throughout the year. Individuals are encouraged to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

EBCAP believes every act of generosity counts and is reaching out to friends, advocates, and community supporters to encourage their participation in GivingTuesday. “We always look forward to special days like GivingTuesday,” explains Dennis Roy, EBCAP’s President and CEO. “The essence of this day is inspiring to us as a community action agency because we see first-hand how it motivates people to be kind, compassionate, and giving, particularly in times like these when so many people need support and assistance.”

As part of its 2020 GivingTuesday campaign, EBCAP is asking for donations to its three food pantries. “As we head into the winter months and given the on-going COVID-19 crisis, we anticipate an increase in the number of food insecure households that will need our help,” states Angela Downing, EBCAP’s Director of Social Services. “Families are struggling. They not only come to us for help with food and basic household supplies, but also for assistance in accessing support services and community resources,” Downing adds.

According to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s 2020 Status Report on Hunger in Rhode Island, food insecurity in the state increased from 9.1% in 2019 to 25.2% in 2020. This 20-year record high is directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. EBCAP can attest to this pandemic-related demand as it not only mobilized to serve nearly 4,000 individuals at its three food pantries in the past year, but also distributed bags of non-perishable food to help hundreds of individuals at its COVID-19 testing sites and delivered groceries to home-bound seniors isolated as a result of the pandemic.

EBCAP is asking for the community’s support on GivingTuesday to provide much-needed funds to help keep its food pantries well stocked with nutritious food. Donations to EBCAP’s GivingTuesday fund may be made online or by mailing a check (payable to EBCAP) to EBCAP, Attn: Finance Dept. – Fill the Pantries Fund, 19 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840.

East Bay Community Action Program is a private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation that provides a wide array of health and human services to the residents of Rhode Island’s East Bay, including the municipalities of East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Little Compton, Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, and Jamestown. For more information regarding program and services, visit www.ebcap.org.