For immediate release
April 9, 2015
Contacts: Nancy Miller, Local 121
401-743-1957
[email protected]
Hugh Minor
RI Community Food Bank
401-230-1674
[email protected]
Local 121 Presents “A Real Swell Feed”
Pay-what-you-can fundraiser to benefit the
Rhode Island Community Food Bank
Based on a “swell feed” event held in Providence during the Great Depression
Providence, RI – On Monday, June 22, 2015, Local 121 in Providence will host its second “A Real Swell
Feed,” a special three-course pay-what-you-can dinner event to benefit the Rhode Island Community
Food Bank.
Local 121 owners Josh and Nancy Miller will chair the event and former Rhode Island First Lady
Stephanie Chafee serves as Honorary Chair.
Guests will be asked to make a donation in lieu of paying a check. Envelopes will be provided on each
table so that donations may be made privately. Patrons will be asked to pay the restaurant only for
beverages they order. Live entertainment provided by a local jazz trio.
During the Great Depression, the restaurant at the Dreyfus Hotel – where Local 121 is located now –
held what the newspaper called at the time a "swell feed" for the needy members of the Providence
community. The meal served was of the same culinary quality that upscale dining room patrons were
served. As many as 1,400 hungry Rhode Islanders attended, endearing the hotel and restaurant owners
to the local community.
“In the spirit of community, I wanted to create a unique event that would evoke that same spirit of
neighbors helping neighbors,” said Local 121 owner Nancy Miller. “We’re excited to host this event for
the Food Bank, a vital resource for those in need of food assistance. They do so much to help solve the
problem of hunger.”
All proceeds will benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and its Community Cooking:
Wholesome Eating on a Budget nutrition education program, which teaches food pantry clients to
create healthy meals on a tight budget. This event also marks the tenth anniversary of Women Ending
Hunger, a volunteer group that brings together concerned women who commit their time, talent and
resources to finding long-term solutions to the problem of hunger.
Andrew Schiff, Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, says: “We’re grateful
to Local 121 and honored that this event benefits our Community Cooking program, which changes the
way food pantry clients view the food they receive at our pantries. They learn that it’s possible to eat a
healthy diet, even with limited resources.”
There will be two seatings for “A Real Swell Feed,” the first at 5:00 pm and the second at 7:30 pm.
Reservations are required. Call Local 121 at 401-274-2121 to reserve your seat. Local 121 is located at
121 Washington Street, Providence and offers complimentary valet.
About Local 121
Located in the former Dreyfus Hotel in downtown Providence, Local 121 offers distinctive, modern takes
on classically-rooted dishes, using locally grown and harvested foods. The dining room is elegant and
intimate, while the Tap Room offers award-winning cocktails and local and craft-style beer in a
traditional bar setting. www.local121.com
About the Rhode Island Community Food Bank
Founded in 1982, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank is a non-profit organization based in
Providence, RI focused on providing food to people in need and promoting long-term solutions to the
problem of hunger. The Food Bank raises funds to purchase nutritious foods and solicits, stores and
distributes food products donated by supermarkets, wholesalers, food processors, local farmers and
community food drives. The food is then distributed to the Food Bank’s statewide network of 169
member agencies. For more information about the Food Bank, visit www.rifoodbank.org.