Better Lives Rhode Island has supported our neighbors in need across the state for 50 years. Since 1974, our mission has evolved to help hundreds every month between our nourishing Community Meal Site, the Food Pantry, and our ongoing outreach program. Now, we need your help.
There is an ongoing crisis of poverty and homelessness that affects the lives of nearly 11% of Rhode Islanders. When we say ‘Crisis,’ we mean it: poverty brings hunger, hunger brings malnourishment, and malnourishment can lead to illness or worse.
We aim to ensure that no one in Rhode Island becomes another statistic. We are all human, and it is our responsibility to help each other, bring comfort, and create better lives. We’re lucky to have served over 30,000 people at our Food Pantry and Meal Site in 2023, and with your help, we can exceed that in 2024, 2025, and beyond.
Anyone who has worked for a non-profit knows that money moves VERY quickly, and we are always working hard to fill gaps and meet the needs of Rhode Island’s working poor.
We are seeking businesses and organizations to collaborate with on several initiatives:
- Fundraisers –
We work with many clients with unique needs. On any given day, we could connect someone with affordable housing, acquire the proper paperwork to apply for work, or feed hundreds of people at our Friday Night Community Meal Site.
To keep these operations running, we must pay for our building, utilities, incidentals, and staff members. When certain food items (like fresh chicken) aren’t available from our partners and the RI Community Food Bank, we front that cost. Nonprofits are as costly as they are necessary, and much of our fundraising is through online donations, grants, and fundraisers.
By setting up a fundraiser with your business, you help raise awareness of our cause to an audience we wouldn’t normally speak to. These could be private office fundraisers or public fundraising events that engage your customers. The more visibility our name has, the better.
- Clothing Drives –
We’ve talked before about the importance of proper clothing. When washing machines aren’t available, the unhoused struggle to keep clothes clean and the elements can lead to wear and tear, which makes clothing unwearable. Often, socks and footwear are a tremendous issue.
Improper footwear can put people at risk of injury or significant discomfort. By holding a clothing drive at your business, you can help us collect crucial resources to keep our neighbors in need clothed throughout the seasons.
Together, we can improve the lives of thousands of people in the state we call home.
To set up a drive, please send your information to Paula Hudson at phudson@betterlivesri.org