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Working together to create Better Lives
for EVERYONE.
Stay in Touch with our newsletter to learn more about
Better Lives RI’s work in the community
Stay in Touch with our newsletter to learn more about
Better Lives RI’s work in the community
We help people better their own lives by providing hope and support for a better tomorrow
and food security and homeless services to get through today.
Open Mon 3-6 pm
Tues and Wed 9am-1pm. All Providence residents are welcome and can shop with us twice a
month. Please bring your own bags. Shopping is limited to only one person per household per visit. Other services provided at pantry are healthcare/health insurance help, SNAP assistance, vaccination clinics, healthy recipes and more. The pantry is located at: 12 Abbott Park Place, Providence. On street parking is available for pantry shoppers.
Everyone is welcome to dine with us! A complete sit-down dinner entrée, (protein, starch, vegetables), dessert, and beverage is served with care and respect. In addition to a nutritious meal, we offer free legal clinics, health screenings, flu shots, and other healthcare and wellness resources in cooperation with the 134 Collaborative. Homeless outreach workers are on-site to connect diners with shelter and support.
Friday Night Meal is located at 134 Mathewson St, Providence. Hours: Doors open at 3pm; Meal is served from 3:30-5pm.
Our team understands the impact of trauma, addiction, abuse, illness, loss and other hardships endured by people who have been homeless long-term. Outreach workers comb the streets and provide water, food, first aid, clothing, bedding, hygiene products, and more to anyone who is unsheltered. We meet people where they are and offer support and resources for wellbeing including connection to shelter, medical care, treatment facilities, sober living and other safe environments. Outreach workers are also available at the Providence Public Library
Mondays and Fridays from 1:00 – 3;00pm and at Project Weber
Renew in Pawtucket on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 – 3:00pm.
12 Abbott Park Place, Providence.
Mon-Fri, 9:30am – 4:30pm.Our agency offers comprehensive case management and social services in one place. We provide photo ID vouchers, benefits assistance (SNAP, SSI/SSDI, health insurance, healthcare), housing assistance and referral to other resources. Our case managers are experienced in addressing barriers to housing such as previous incarceration, low-income, poor credit, etc. and will work with you to develop a plan for securing a safe, affordable place to live. They will identify housing options, provide application assistance and connect you with subsidies and tenant resources to help you succeed. If you’re in danger of losing your housing, we can connect you with legal representation, negotiate with your landlord, and find workable solutions to keep you in your home.
Please call 401-454-7422 for more info.
Your contributions will go towards assisting clients with housing as well as providing basic needs and supplies. Help is always needed in our food pantry as well as our community meal center. Please contact us for volunteering opportunities.
Click to be directed to our donation page
Message us about volunteering.
Organize Food drives, events and more.
Better Lives Rhode Island is a non-profit agency whose mission is to offer stability, justice, and hope to those in need through advocacy and direct service. Formerly known as PICA and the Providence In-town Churches Association, Better Lives Rhode Island has been serving the needs of the community since 1974. On a monthly basis, our agency currently provides food to over 2000 low-income Providence residents at our Food Pantry and feeds 500+ individuals/families at our Community Meal. Our Homeless Outreach and Day Center programs provide basic needs, holistic case management and support services to 60+ unsheltered and housing insecure folks a month. Annually, Better Lives Rhode Island serves over 30,000 of our friends and neighbors.
Better Lives RI
12 Abbott Park Place
Providence, RI 02903
401-454-7422
info@betterlivesri.org
Send us a message!
Answers to some of our most common questions.
For more information please call 401-454-7422
We are located at 12 Abbott Park Place, Providence. We are open Monday 3pm-6pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 9am-1pm. On street parking only - please do not park in church lot.
All Providence residents are welcome and can shop with us twice a month. Registration is required. Please bring your own bags. Shopping is limited to one person per household per visit.
Not everyone has access to a hot nutritious meal - people staying in shelters, cars, tents and on the streets often don’t. In 2023, we served 5,189 hot meals to hungry people. Our Community Meal is open to anyone and everyone – no questions asked. Doors open at 3pm. Meals are served from 3:30pm – 5:00pm every Friday at 134 Matthewson St. Providence.
We are currently seeking volunteers for our food pantry and community meal programs. Donations of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items (soap, toothpaste, deodorant, feminine products, diapers etc.) are welcome. Please call 401-454-7422.
According to RI Coalition to End Homelessness, as of March 2024 there were 815 people, including families with children, (511 households) living in unsheltered conditions in our state. In total, there are 2225 homeless individuals (1401 households) waiting for housing. Despite a shortage of affordable housing and shelter beds, Better Lives RI helped connect 57 people with shelter and secured permanent housing situations for 96 individuals including locating 43 affordable rentals in 2023.
Our social service specialists are here to help you