Dear friend of the Jonnycake Center of Westerly, 

Summer is flying by, and with it, things are constantly evolving at the Center! Since mid-July, we've been finding new ways to serve our community, as well as expanding the operations of our Thrift Store.

In early July, we expanded our Thrift Store's operating hours from three days per week to five days, adding hours on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. The Social Services office began accepting in-person meetings with clients for the first time since March, having developed processes among staff and volunteers to ensure a hygienic, safe environment.

On July 13, thanks to a large unsolicited donation of fresh fruits and vegetables, Food Pantry staff swiftly developed a plan to offer surplus produce to the community as a "pop-up drive-through Farmer's Market." Rather than operate a traditional open-air Farmers Market, Pantry staff pre-sorted the produce into containers for each household, and the public was invited to drive to the Center's rear parking lot, receive a container via contact-free handoff, and drive away. This new "drive-through" model allowed us to provide essential nutrition to our neighbors in a hygienic manner, and our staff was able to observe proper social distancing measures throughout the pop-up market.

This "drive-through" model proved highly successful, so much so that the Pantry is now using the same model for its regular weekly Farmer's Market that began for the 2020 season on July 29. Every Wednesday morning from now until the end of September 2020, the Farmer's Market offers no-cost, fresh, pre-sorted fruits and veggies for our neighbors in need, available by driving to the Center's rear parking lot. Clients or visitors without access to a vehicle can contact the Jonnycake Food Pantry directly to receive assistance. We are proud to offer healthy, locally-grown produce to the community we serve.

As of early August, our Thrift Store has once again expanded its hours, now operating with mornings on Wednesdays and Fridays, and later hours on Thursdays. For the ease of donors, the Thrift Store now offers "Drive 'N Drop" donations for clothes and shoes on Wednesdays and Fridays. Additionally, more timeslots have been added for donors to donate household goods, furniture, electronics, and more to be sold in our store. See below to find the current Thrift Store schedule, as well as much more info about our entire Center's current policies and hours.

We are incredibly grateful for your support through these unusual times. Because of your financial contributions, kind words of encouragement, acceptance of our policies, unhesitating patronage of our Thrift Store, and support of our Social Services and Food Assistance programs, we are in a great position to continue our mission of lifting neighbors out of crisis. Your support has enabled us to keep our doors open and our staff employed.

Please let me or the Jonnycake team know if there is anything we can do to assist you or someone you know. With you by our side, we continue #SustainingCommunityTogether!

Lee Eastbourne
Executive Director
Jonnycake Center of Westerly
Jonnycake Center of Westerly August 2020 Update
FOOD PANTRY:
  • The Food Pantry is operating on a modified service model. If you are in need of food supplies, please call (401) 377-8069 and select Option 1.
  • Food Donations are accepted by pre-scheduled appointment. Please email FoodDonations@jonnycake.org to reserve a dropoff time.
  • For the remainder of summer break, SPLASH (Summer Program Looking to Alleviate Student Hunger) weekly meal packs are available for school-age kids in need. Please call Social Services at (401) 377-8069 and select Option 1, or email Sarah Cote, Social Services Program Director, at scote@jonnycake.org to learn more and sign up.
  • Grab and Go meal kits (breakfast and lunch) for students are available in the public parking lot across from the Jonnycake Center of Westerly from 12-1pm Mondays-Fridays. Extra food is provided on Fridays for the weekend. No ID necessary.
SOCIAL SERVICES
  • The Social Services office continues to be available to serve community members in need.
  • Clients arriving for the Food Pantry or SPLASH check-ins, or receiving Vouchers for the Thrift Store, can visit the Social Services office during open hours for assistance
  • Most Jonnycake Social Services are offered remotely, but some on-site services are temporarily suspended. A staff person is available via phone during all open hours to provide resources or answer questions at (401) 377-8069, Option 1.
  • If you are new to our services, or are in need of financial assistance, please contact Sarah Cote, Social Services Program Director, at (401) 377-8069 #110 or scote@jonnycake.org.
  • The Social Services office is currently open Monday afternoons (12pm to 3pm) and mornings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (9am to 12pm).
THRIFT STORE
  • To protect the Food Pantry and the safety of shoppers, volunteers, and staff, new Thrift Store shopping policies are in place.
  • Store hours are:
  • Tuesdays: 11am to 4pm
  • Tuesday Senior Shopping: 9am to 11am
  • Wednesdays: 9am to 4pm
  • Thursdays: 9am to 6pm
  • Fridays: 9am to 4pm
  • Saturdays: 9am to 4pm
  • Sundays & Mondays: Closed
  • The last store entry will be at 3:30pm daily except Thursdays
  • Thursday last entry is 5:30pm
  • With the likelihood of lines outside our building, and to avoid confusion in exiting, we suggest shoppers park in the public parking lot across Industrial Drive from Jonnycake. Shoppers are not allowed to enter or exit through our donation processing area.
  • A limited number of shoppers are allowed in the Jonnycake Center of Westerly’s Thrift Store at one time. This number includes children and everyone in your party. We request that shopping trips are made solo, or with only one other person. If the store is full, arriving shoppers will be asked to wait outside.
  • To gain entry to our building, everybody must wear a face mask. Face shields (without a face mask) cannot be accepted. No exceptions can be made to this policy. Shoppers who are unable to wear a face mask can contact the Store to receive alternate means of assistance.
  • Jonnycake staff will greet you at the door to take your forehead temperature and ask a few questions about your recent health and risk factors. Answering these questions is essential to protecting our on-site Food Pantry, as well as the health of fellow shoppers, volunteers, and Jonnycake staff.
  • Please follow the one-way arrows in our aisles and maintain 6-foot social distancing spacing when shopping.
  • Follow the Jonnycake Facebook page to see daily discounts, surprise sales, and early access to certain treasures.
THRIFT DONATIONS:
  • Most Thrift Donations temporarily remain available by appointment only. To schedule a donation, please email ThriftDonations@jonnycake.org.
  • Clothing and/or shoes only – without housewares, accessories, furniture, etc. – is accepted without appointment on Wednesdays and Fridays between 1:30pm and 3pm. Please drop any clothing into one of the special bins available in our rear parking lot during these hours. For all donations other than clothing or shoes, please set an appointment with ThriftDonations@jonnycake.org.
  • Furniture is accepted for pickup on a very limited basis from the Jonnycake delivery truck. To request an appointment, email ThriftDonations@jonnycake.org with the subject line “Furniture pickup.”
  • Unscheduled or same-day dropoffs, except for clothing and shoes as listed above, are temporarily suspended. Please do not leave ("dump") donations on our entryways without an appointment.
  • All proceeds from Thrift sales directly support our Food Pantry and Social Services basic needs efforts.
VOLUNTEERING
  • To minimize the number of people in our building, limited opportunities are available to volunteer at Jonnycake.
  • To be added to the volunteering interest waitlist, please email Volunteer@jonnycake.org.
FUNDRAISING:
  • The Jonnycake Center of Westerly is following mandates limiting the number of people who can gather at one time. As a result, we had to make the difficult decision to postpone most of our public event fundraising initiatives for the remainder of 2020.
  • Visit our website jonnycake.org often and make sure you follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for when we announce alternative means of hosting fundraisers.
  • To make a financial contribution in lieu of attending a Jonnycake event, please email Bambi Poppick, Development Director, at bpoppick@jonnycake.org or call (401) 315-4584.
  • Click here to make a secure donation via the Jonnycake website.
  • We extend our heartfelt thanks to every person who has financially supported Jonnycake since March. Your contributions have enabled us to keep feeding families in need and providing critical basic needs services.
  • Browse the latest news on our website to find announcements of some of the wonderful support received from community partners and foundations.
ADOPT-A-FAMILY SIGNUPS OPENING SOON
  • It's hard to believe, but our Social Services department is already gearing up for our 2020 Adopt-a-Family holiday gift drive program.
  • In 2019, nearly 300 local underserved families received presents and gifts thanks to this program. With more families than ever facing unprecedented challenges in 2020, the need will be even greater for a well-funded, well-executed gift drive this holiday season.
  • Look for Adopt-a-Family signups opening very soon! To sign up as a Donor who can help with gifts, please call Lee Eastbourne, Jonnycake Executive Director, at (401) 377-8069, ext. 106, or email leastbourne@jonnycake.org.
  • To register as a family in need, call Jonnycake Social Services at (401) 377-8069 and select Option 1. Adoptees can also email Sarah Cote, Social Services Program Director, at scote@jonnycake.org.
  • Stay tuned as details of this year's reconfigured gift drive are announced through email, the Jonnycake website, and our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).
BACKPACK & SUPPLIES GIVEAWAY AUGUST 24
OTHER UPDATES
  • We upgraded our building's camera system, adding many new cameras inside and out to bolster the security of our Thrift Store, Food Pantry, and Social Services office. Cameras are actively monitored by Jonnycake staff. We are proud to provide a safer, more secure shopper and client experience with these cameras in place.
  • We were honored to present academic scholarships to three local graduating high school seniors in recognition of their outstanding work in the community. We wish these accomplished young people the very best in their further academic careers. Let's hear it for:
  • Gianna Colao of Westerly
  • Tyler Faubert of Westerly
  • Matt Power of Ashaway
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:
WOOD RIVER HEALTH SERVICES INTRODUCES NEW PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER
With the retirement this summer of two Westerly pediatricians, Wood River Health Services is pleased to introduce their new Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Ann Bisland.

Wood River Health Services is happy to welcome any former patients of Dr. Garvey or Dr. Stokes who care to transfer over!

Ann worked most recently at Blackstone Valley Community Health Center for five years.

Originally from South Huntington, New York, Ann earned her BS at SUNY Binghamton and her Master’s of Science in Nursing at Yale University, where she studied to be a pediatric nurse practitioner with a concentration in diabetes management. During her graduate studies she worked in the PICU at Yale New Haven Hospital on research funded by the NIH, helping to identify pediatric biomarkers for deep vein thrombosis. She also volunteered at a free clinic in New Haven and worked as an RN caring for adolescents at the health center at Choate Rosemary Hall.

She has worked as a pediatric primary care provider in Pawtucket and Central Falls in community health for the past 5 years. During her time caring for this population, she pursued additional training in functional medicine and lactation. While caring for her newborn patients she offers lactation guidance to her breastfeeding mothers.

She also has a keen interest in pediatric behavioral health and working with families to create a plan that incorporates different modalities of medicine to help children succeed. She was drawn to pediatrics because she believes in the lasting effect of preventative medicine and partnering with parents to enhance the well-being of their child.

Ann has traveled throughout the world, spending three years as an English teacher in Japan and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity throughout Asia. She speaks Japanese and Spanish. She now lives with her husband, a private chef, and two sons in South Kingstown.

Wood River Heath Services is a Federally Qualified Health Center with locations in Hope Valley and Westerly providing primary medical, dental and behavioral health care and associated services for all.

For more information, go to wrhsri.org. To make an appointment, call (401) 539-2461.
As always, thank you for your unwavering support of the Center as we navigate these unfamiliar times. We are doing our utmost to continue serving and feeding our community.
With great appreciation,
The Jonnycake Center of Westerly
Social Services | Food Pantry | Thrift Store
23 Industrial Drive, Westerly, RI 02891
(401) 377-8069