Christmas in Newport food Drive

In the late Spring we posted an opportunity to join us down here at 140 Thames St. to help lead a number of events. Chris was one of the enterprising college students that took us up on the offer and he has been working hard to make the most of his time with us. From the start, he came in wanting to take on and lead a Team Brick Alley project that involved helping out those most in need here in our own backyard.

Below is the official announcement of Chris’s project and our next Team Brick Alley event:

Anne Frank was once quoted as saying, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” It is with this philosophy in mind that the Brick Alley Pub has set out to help Newport’s community. With our economy facing enormous difficulty, we want to take this opportunity during our busiest season to help our fellow neighbors and friends. Within the Newport community alone, there are over 16 food banks supporting the growing number of households facing food insecurity. Although Newport is famous for its historic mansions, pristine beaches, and amazing restaurants, very few understand the rapid increase in the number of hungry homes. Although our state is fortunately not one of the most severely affected areas during these hard times, we have only just begun to face the global problems in need of our immediate attention. Instead of making a simple donation to the Rhode Island Food Bank, the team at Brick Alley Pub has decided to take a more hands-on approach. Thus began our campaign for the “Christmas in July” food drive.

Our chosen theme arose from the fact that it is more common for people to donate food during the holiday season—in itself is a wonderful thing. Our goal with “Christmas in July” is to remind Newport that many people face food insecurity throughout the year. The food drive is a two-day event on July 17 and 18 and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. we will be outside of Brick Alley Pub collecting food donations whether rain or shine. In order to encourage friends and neighbors to make donations we will be giving away $5 dollar Brick Alley Pub Gift Cards to every person that makes a donation. Additionally, everyone who donates will be eligible for the chance to win one of two $100 gift cards to Brick Alley Pub. After our two-day event we will deliver all donations to the Martin Luther King Community Center in Newport. The Martin Luther King Center is just one of the 16 food banks in Newport and offers numerous programs for children and adults in the community. We are extremely proud to make a donation to one of the many well deserving community programs in Newport. After speaking with members of the Martin Luther King Center we found that cereal, peanut butter, jelly, canned protein, and spaghetti sauce, were all particularly needed. At the end of this exciting event we will post our results on our Brick Alley Pub Facebook page and blog; so make sure you’re our “Friend!” We hope everyone can come out and support the Newport community and our friends in need.

We will leave you with one last quote to ignite your desire to help others; Mother Teresa once said, “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.” That is something that everyone in Newport can certainly agree upon.