10/05/2026
We're taking you back to warmer days to celebrate the commitment of one of our employees to fighting hunger, and one community group's creative solution to address community needs.
Meet John Mulholland, Lead Driver at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. 🚚 John's dedication to the Food Bank's mission goes beyond Monday through Friday: he's also connected to fighting food insecurity through a massive community garden undertaking he participates in alongside Knights of Columbus Pope Pius XII Council 5295, out of St. Thomas More Parish.
A few years ago, one of their members approached the group with the idea of starting a community garden on a working vineyard. 🍇 The initiative is a win/win/win. The vineyard gets soil remediation in that area of the farm; local hunger relief organizations receive hundreds of pounds of fresh, locally grown produce; and the KofC members enjoy a meaningful opportunity to serve the community.
The garden plot in North Kingstown is about 1.5 acres in total, growing everything from cucumbers to corn on the cob. 🌽 Seedlings are donated by local farms, and volunteers harvest on weekdays and w**d on Saturdays.
Produce grown here is donated to the Jonnycake Center for Hope and the North Kingstown Food Pantry, both member agencies of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. John delivers food to these agencies during the week, and plays a part in helping them receive additional fresh, organic produce in his free time throughout the growing season.
In 2024, the KofC focused on getting up and running, growing about 3,000 lbs of produce. In 2025, they produced a whopping 9,000+ lbs: zucchini, eggplant, watermelon, and more. Afterward, they asked the Jonnycake Center's nutritionist what they'd like to receive more of, and learned that zucchini and tomato donations are abundant, but fresh lettuce and greens like collards less frequently come in as donations. 🥬 The group took that feedback to heart, shifting focus away from beating previous years' poundage and toward growing the foods neighbors ask for, like collard greens and herbs.
💚 For the 2026 growing season, the KofC Council will have donated just under 3 tons of food, or approximately 6,600 lbs of fresh produce, to the Jonnycake Center and NK Food Pantry.
We're grateful for John's dedication here at the Food Bank, and for his commitment to living out our values beyond the cab of his delivery truck. Rhode Island State Council Knights of Columbus
📸 Photographed: Barry McPeake, Bernie Casey, Peter Feketie, Jim Hopkins, John Mulholland (pictured, 2nd photo), John Walsh, Michael Sullivan, Chris Harrington, Jack Pezza, Tom Montaquila, Brian Pellegrino, and Cliff Tyler from the KofC, and staff from the Jonnycake Center for Hope, Maghnee Gomes and Kharissa Wilson.
