10 Tons of Peanut Butter for RI's Hungry

10 Tons of Peanut Butter for RI's Hungry

It's good news that sticks to the roof of your mouth.

Washington Trust just announced that its annual regional peanut butter drive - the PB Xpress - brought in 10 tons (yes, tons) of peanut butter to be distributed by the Rhode Island Community Food Bank to local food pantries and families in need. That's enough for 320,000 PB&J sandwiches.

This makes PB Xpress's grand total of the excellent, easily stored and distributed source of protein for children as well as adults, a 10-year total of 87 tons. That is indeed, a lot of peanut butter.

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And the ongoing generosity of donors and passion of volunteers comes at a time when families need it most. "When we launched this year's PB Xpress campaign in March, hunger in Rhode Island was

at a 10-year record high," said Joseph J. MarcAurele, Washington Trust Chairman, President and CEO. "Shortly thereafter, Rhode Island and parts of southeastern Connecticut were hit with record flooding - creating devastating effects for many residents."

Citing the yield of 10 tons into those hundreds of thousands of PB&Js, "That's enough to feed every school-age child in Rhode Island almost two peanut butter sandwiches," MarcAurele said. "We're incredibly pleased with the results and extend our gratitude to all who pitched in to help, especially the Washington Trust employees, the Junior League of RI, and Eden Park Elementary School, who were our top donors."

"Peanut butter is one of the most in-demand items among the Food Bank's member agency food pantries," said Andrew Schiff, CEO of the RI Community Food Bank. "Thousands of jars of this protein-rich food have already begun making their way to the tables of hungry Rhode Islanders."

Want to get involved in next year's peanut butter drive? Go to www.peanutbutterbank.com and www.rifoodbank.org.