By 10:30 this past Saturday, the volunteers at the Little Compton Food Bank had nearly exhausted the day's supply of fresh produce and fruit. It was a busy morning, with a steady stream of Tiverton and Little Compton residents coming in to pick up food items and other supply.

There have been a lot of busy days recently. If you have driven past the Little Compton Wellness Center on a Friday or Saturday morning this past year you might be surprised to see a parking lot filled with cars. Despite in-person programming being curtailed throughout the country due to the pandemic, folks still make the trip each week to shop for food and household items at the Little Compton Food Bank.

According to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank website, 25.2 percent of the Rhode Island population are currently considered food insecure. Shopping at the Food Bank is free for Little Compton and Tiverton residents who need extra food beyond what they can comfortably afford each week. Clients are offered meats, cheese, eggs, canned items, baked goods, household products and fresh produce, much of which is donated by local farmers. They may shop weekly and choose their own items. In order to shop at the Food Bank, all that is required is proof of Little Compton or Tiverton residency. Currently, the bank serves about 20 families and 60 individuals across the two towns.

The Little Compton Food Bank has been providing food and household items to Little Compton and Tiverton families since 1995, perhaps earlier. In the early days, the Food Bank was located in the basement of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church before moving to its current distribution center at the Little Compton Wellness Center in 2012. Until January 2021, the Food Bank was completely volunteer-run and was managed in large part by Sue Sisson, Director of Social Services for the town of Little Compton.

At the start of the pandemic, many Americans found themselves suddenly without income, needing to care for additional family members, and concerned with their own health and well-being. In order to rethink the distribution process and make sure that the clients and volunteers stayed safe, the bank closed for a short period in April 2020. During the pause, Ms. Sisson reached out to clients and delivered food in the interim to make sure that everyone was getting the items they needed.

Meanwhile, the food bank underwent a large transition during its forced hiatus. Ms. Sisson and a group of volunteers organized a task force to examine the best next steps for the Food Bank, knowing that the need for its services would continue to increase throughout the pandemic and that this increased need required dedicated staff, an organized board of directors and its non-profit status. Elizabeth Woodhouse was elected to serve as the director and Susan Chase as the volunteer coordinator. Board members include Edith Borden, Sue Chase, Reverend Rebecca Floyd Marshall, Reverend Beverley Edwards, Susan Kinnane, Marsha Riccardi and Elizabeth Woodhouse. Ms. Sisson serves as an Advisory Board member.

The changes continued this year. In April, the food bank was approved for 501(c)3 non-profit status. Grants totaling more than $10,000 followed from the United Way of Greater Fall River and the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. The food bank was able to reopen in May with some updates to the distribution process, such as having clients wait in their cars instead of inside the center, and wearing masks. Since then, monthly visits have increased by 22 percent and the number of households being served has increased by 28 percent.

As more people became vaccinated over the spring, the food bank increased its hours, and is currently open for distribution Fridays and Saturdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

“The Food Bank is well positioned to serve more clients and increase our services thanks to Sue Sisson’s hard work and dedication throughout the years”, said Ms. Woodhouse.

“I look forward to my volunteer days at the food bank because I love to meet the clients who are so appreciative," added Rev. Beverley Edwards, a board member and long-time volunteer. "And it is a joy to be able to satisfy their needs with staples and the generous donations we receive of eggs, fresh produce and meats."

If you would like to donate to the bank, contributions may be sent to: The Little Compton Food Bank, PO Box 590, Little Compton, RI 02837. For more information, follow the bank on Facebook @LCFoodBank or e-mail littlecomptonfoodbank@gmail.com.