FSRI receives $10,000 grant from Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation
Dunkin’ Franchisee Steve Gabellieri, FSRI VP Maggie Slane, and Dunkin General Manager and Operating Partner Greg Tetrault, Jr.
PROVIDENCE, RI –According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, approximately 1 in 4 Rhode Islanders has difficulty accessing food. But food insecurity is bigger than just an empty plate, it affects our state’s most vulnerable by expanding existing health and financial disparities. To help ensure our community’s children are fed, Family Service of Rhode Island (FSRI) has received a $10,000 grant from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation to support efforts to combat food insecurity.
“The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation’s mission is to bring joy to kids battling hunger or illness. We are proud to support the Be Safe program to help ensure Rhode Island kids and families have access to fresh, nutritious food when they need it most,” said Karen Raskopf, Co-Chair of the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation.
All Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Grantees must be nominated for awards by a member of the Dunkin’ community, which includes franchisees and crew members. Steve Gabellieri, a Dunkin’ franchisee in the Providence area, recommended FSRI to the foundation after seeing the work already being done by the Be Safe program.
“I was so impressed with all that FSRI has been doing to help children and families stay afloat throughout the pandemic,” said Steve Gabellieri, Dunkin’ Franchisee. “When grocery shelves ran bare and little was known about the virus, the Be Safe program stepped in to make sure kids and families got what they needed delivered right to their doorstep. It aligned so much with what the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation is constantly working towards—making a difference for kids battling hunger and illness locally.”
The grant will have an immediate, positive impact, helping to fund the continuing needs of the community even as the pandemic recedes.
“We continue to see a demand for assistance, so with the additional support from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation to advance our efforts will go a long way for families in need,” said Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO of FSRI. “We can’t thank them enough for recognizing and investing in this program.”
More information on the Be Safe Program
