Newport Food Program Needs Drivers for 2,000 Deliveries

Imagine being unable to leave your home to buy groceries, relying on the kindness of neighbors to bring food to your door. For hundreds of homebound residents in Newport County, that's reality.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center runs Food 2 Friends, a program that delivers groceries directly to people who can't visit the food pantry themselves. Now they're looking for more volunteer drivers to keep this essential service running strong.

The numbers tell a powerful story. Volunteers make more than 2,000 deliveries each year to neighbors who face mobility challenges, health issues, or other barriers that keep them home. Each delivery means one less person going hungry and one more connection in a community that takes care of its own.

Hollie Johnson, the center's Volunteer Manager, welcomes anyone interested in helping. The commitment is flexible, and the impact is immediate. Every route a volunteer takes means someone who might otherwise go without food gets the groceries they need.

The Ripple Effect

When volunteers deliver food to homebound residents, they're doing more than dropping off groceries. They're providing human contact for people who may be isolated. They're giving family members peace of mind knowing their loved ones are fed. They're strengthening the fabric of Newport County by showing up for neighbors in need.

The program proves that solving big problems doesn't always require big gestures. Sometimes it just takes people willing to spend a few hours driving groceries to those who need them most.

Anyone interested can reach Hollie Johnson at 401.846.4828 extension 103 or email hjohnson@mlkccenter.org to start making deliveries that truly matter.