State leaders, FeedRI, and CVS Health gathered at Woonsocket High School on August 27 to open a new school-based food pantry. The on-campus facility provides direct grocery access for students, staff, and local families.
Woonsocket High School now has a food pantry operating directly within its walls.
On August 27, state education leaders, school staff, and community members gathered at the campus to open the new on-site facility. The goal is straightforward: putting groceries where teenagers spend their days.
The pantry represents a collaboration among three partners: the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education—known as RIDE—alongside hunger-relief organization FeedRI and corporate backing from CVS Health.
Aid inside the school
State officials attended the formal opening to launch the space alongside educators and students. Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos and Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green joined community members and school staff inside the building to celebrate the pantry’s completion.
By placing pantry shelves directly inside Woonsocket High, the initiative creates immediate access during the school week without requiring families to travel outside the district’s central campus. The result is that food assistance is integrated into the daily school environment.
Local sponsor
FeedRI Executive Director Rhonda Lapham and CVS Health Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy Faith Weiner joined the opening ceremony. The effort pairs state agency coordination from RIDE with private philanthropic support and community-based food distribution.
The school-based facility is now open to serve students, staff, and neighborhood families.
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