Community Market
Fridays 3 to 5 p.m.
About the Community Market
Who We Are
The Community Market is a food pantry operated from St. Peters Church every Friday afternoon from 3:00-5:00pm to help those who need food assistance in South County. Guests do not need to document residence or financial need in order to get food.
Who We Serve
What would it be like if you went to work one day and found out that you were being laid off that very day?
Imagine that your car was on empty and you didn’t have enough money to put any gas in, even to go to the store to get groceries.
What if you had been renting the same apartment for seven years and one day the landlord told you that you had 6 months to vacate because he was selling the building? What would you do?
The guests of the Community Market are people who find themselves precisely in the situations described above. The neighborhood surrounding St. Peters Church at the ocean’s edge is filled with million-dollar homes and in the summer welcomes thousands of fun-seeking beach and restaurant goers. But the affluence is deceiving as nestled among the trim hedges and professional landscaping are pockets of affordable housing and people struggling to pay their bills and put nutritious food on their tables. A number of older and disabled Market guests, who have no transportation, walk to the market. Many carpool. Some are international graduate students at URI struggling to support family on very limited funds. Every Friday afternoon they are welcomed into the Parish Hall to pick out canned and packaged food, fresh bread, fresh produce, frozen meat, dairy products—including eggs, and personal products. We don’t do job training, or hand out housing vouchers, but we do offer free groceries and encouraging words and sometimes that’s enough to take the edge off the overwhelming circumstances that our neighbors find themselves in.
Remembering the needs of others is the hallmark of the Community Market. In 2023 we served an average of 52 households per month representing about 200 individuals. We had about 62 visits per week from these families and we enrolled about 17 new families per month. Since the beginning of 2024 we have seen an increase in the number of new enrollees per month. In addition to weekly market visits, 65 of our families can sign up for a frozen turkey and all the usual food items to make a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. In December, we give hats, mittens, scarves and socks to our guests, all provided by the St. Peters congregation.
Volunteers
The Community Market is staffed complet by approximately 70 volunteers who spend time distributing food on Friday afternoons, but also work on other days helping with food deliveries and organizing the storage areas. Some are volunteers who started out as Guests. Many volunteers are retired. And each has discovered that no matter what is happening elsewhere in the world there is a great gift in helping those in need in the local community. Volunteer shifts are: Tuesday mornings truck delivery 10:30-11:00; Wednesday mornings pick up products at Stop & Shop 10:00; Friday mornings unloading 9:00-10:00; Friday Market set-up 1:30-3:00; Friday distribution and break down 3:30-5:00.
Donate
All our food is purchased by funds raised through private donations and grants. As our Guest list grows so does our need for inventory. We welcome donations of shelf-stable food from individuals as well as donations from food drives. We are grateful for cash donations. All are welcome to visit and see the Market in action on any Friday from 3-5pm at St. Peters by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 72 Central Street, Narragansett. For more information call 401-783-4623 or email ParishAdmin@stpetersbythesea.com