Since its founding in 2014 at St. Augustine’s Church, Rhody Outpost has grown in size and is continuing to serve and aid students in the URI community.
Rhody Outpost is an organization that provides one in four graduate and undergraduate University of Rhode Island students who are food insecure with the resources they need, according to Barbara Sweeney, the food services coordinator. The organization is now based at the dining services warehouse.
Rhody Outpost is open to students on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.. Students can come twice a month and the Outpost alternates between serving graduate and undergraduate students each week.
Barbara Sweeney manages Rhody Outpost with student volunteers and support from St. Augustine’s Church.
The Outpost offers students a shopping model where they can select the products they need and socialize with other students, Sweeney said. This is believed to offer students more choice in what they receive and give them more dignity. Additionally, this reduces the volunteer burden needed to operate.
The Outpost provides students not only with prepackaged items but also fresh foods that are supplied by the local market and the greenhouses on campus.
“We do carry fresh items, so we have milk, eggs, yogurt and bread, as well as a limited amount of fresh produce that we get from the local market, like peppers, onions, potatoes, carrots and cucumbers, but during the harvest season we are fortunate to get produce from our farms here to campus,” Sweeney said.
At the end of March, Rhody Outpost anticipates opening on Tuesdays in addition to Fridays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sweeney said. With this increase in hours of operation, they will need more volunteers.
In addition to serving students by providing them with resources, the organization also aims to create a community amongst the students who use the Outpost, said Beth Sherman, the minister at St. Augustine’s Church. In 2018, she created a space for students to socialize with her and each other.
Sherman brings baked goods made by her parishioners to the coffee lounge located at the Outpost so that students can enjoy a sweet treat while they shop, she said. Businesses such as TLC Coffee Roasters also provide the lounge with baked goods for students to enjoy.
“It gives it kind of a cozy feel and it really builds this really incredible sense of community,” Sherman said.
Sherman also brings her dog, Maverick, to engage with the shoppers because she understands that many students are missing their pets while away from home, she said. By having a space where they can talk to one another, these students can create comradery with one another and recognize that they aren’t alone in their struggles.
“It’s the high point of my week,” Sherman said. “I look forward to it every week because it just gives me this huge chunk of time to hang out with students and get to know them beyond just the superficialities.”
On Nov. 19, 2023, St. Augustine’s sponsored a concert where they raised $2,000 for Rhody Outpost, Sherman said. Additionally, they host monthly meals for students. Their Thanksgiving meal hosted over 120 students.
Looking ahead, Rhody Outpost aims to engage more undergraduate students with the organization, raise more awareness of the Outpost and the services it provides, and create mini pantries around campus, Sweeney said.
These mini pantries would be bins around campus that would be stocked with food and supplies that students could take. The goal is to have one of these bins in each building. At the moment, the only example of this can be found on the first floor of the Memorial Union.
In addition to working with St. Augustine’s church, the organization also works with student clubs, Greek life, the leadership program at URI and many of URI’s academic colleges, in addition to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
For students interested in using Rhody Outpost’s services, they should fill out the Rhody Outpost’s Intake Form and weekly sign-up, which can be found online at web.uri.edu/rhody-outpost/.