Current Needs

Ways to Support: In-Kind Donations

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center relies on donations to keep our crucial community programming up and running. In addition to accepting monetary donations, we also accept in-kind donations of food, personal care items, household items and cleaning products, and toys and gift cards around the holidays. If you would like to give a monetary donation that goes directly to hunger relief, please click here.

Donations can be delivered during our normal business hours:

Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m

All Donations can be brought to the Loading Dock of the Center of Dr. Marcus Wheatland Blvd.

Please ring the doorbell by the Donation sign and a staff member will come assist you.

Intake Policies

As a member agency of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, we follow a specific set of guidelines that allows us to accept a wide variety of items.

Non-perishable dry goods – We can accept expired non-perishable dry goods from the previous calendar year. Items cannot be rusted, opened, or otherwise used.
Perishable goods – Produce – We can accept any and all produce.
Perishable goods – Meats – We do not accept any perishable meats, frozen or otherwise. The sole exception are turkeys around Thanksgiving. It’s best to contact us to coordinate donations.
Perishable goods – Eggs – We can accept farm eggs.
Perishable goods – Restaurant surplus – We can receive properly processed food from commercial kitchens provided that it’s “first run.” First run food is food that hasn’t been made available to customers. For example, we cannot accept a tray of food from a buffet line. We can accept a leftover tray of food that wasn’t put out in a buffet line.
Toiletries and household items – We can accept any and all unopened toiletry and household items.

As we can accept such a wide variety of items, so please feel free to contact us about an specific items or unique circumstances: Ed Crowley, (401) 846-4828 x119

Food Pantry Needs

All items are welcome but we are always in particular need of:

Canned protein
- SPAM; tuna, salmon, chicken, sardines; small hams; Vienna sausages; beef stew; chili; hash
Peanut Butter, Sun Butter, Nut Butters
Jams, jellies
Cereals, hot and cold
Canned fruits
Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Peanut Oil
Condiments
- Salad dressing, ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise
Canned veggies, esp. beets and spinach
Canned/bagged beans: all kinds
Bagged lentils
Tomato sauce / canned tomatoes

Side dishes: Rice/noodles/mac & cheese
Coffee, tea
Juices
Gluten-free Foods
Low salt or no-salt foods
Canned Pasta sauce
Grains
- 100% Whole Grains like Brown Rice, Quinoa, Bulgur, Barley, Rolled Oats, Wild Rice, Whole Wheat/Grain Pasta, Whole Grain Cereal
International foods (Non-perishable)
Personal care products
- Toothpaste, deodorant, razors, toilet paper, soap, shampoo
Household products
- Laundry detergent, dish liquid, paper towel