Local
East Providence Food Drive Dispute Ends in One-Day Pickup Window for Housing Complex Residents
A donation effort for residents of two East Providence housing complexes became entangled in a public feud between organizer Brian Coogan and Mayor Bob DaSilva, with residents now limited to a four-hour pickup window Tuesday. The mayor says the buildings aren't licensed food pantries; Coogan calls the restrictions political.
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. â A food donation drive meant to stock the shelves of two housing complexes off Route 44 has instead touched off a public dispute between the volunteer who organized it and the city's mayor, leaving residents with a single four-hour window to collect the goods.
Brian Coogan, who ran for state Senate as an independent in the recent election and is known locally as "Mr. EP" on social media, said his online platform generated hundreds of donations for residents of City View and Goldsmith manors after tenants told him their pantry was running low.
"They said, please, you know, we have a pantry here. Not everybody in the building needs it, but a lot of people need it," Coogan said.
Coogan said he agreed to solicit food only â no cash, no gift cards â and began collecting. But he said he later received a call from an attorney representing the housing authority ordering him to stop and clear out what had already been gathered.
In a recording Coogan shared, a person can be heard telling him, "We need to ask you to immediately stop soliciting any more food donations," and that the food needed to be removed "by close of business tomorrow."
Coogan accused Mayor Bob DaSilva of trying to block the food from reaching residents and suggested the pushback was political, saying the mayor had not been invited to take part.
"This got political because Bob wasn't invited," Coogan said.
DaSilva denied the charge and said he does not direct the housing authority's decisions. "I keep my hands clear of the housing authority, other than appointing personnel to it," the mayor said.
DaSilva said the central question was whether the properties are permitted to run a food pantry. "They are not an authorized food pantry. They're not licensed to be a food pantry," he said.
Both men traded accusations of playing politics. "Leave politics away from the food. It's just food," Coogan said. DaSilva responded: "Mr. Coogan is a failed politician who is very adept at making up stories."
A compromise is now in place: residents will be able to pick up donations Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Coogan criticized the narrow window. "You're just creating chaos. Let the people who started this finish it," he said.
DaSilva said the effort needed more coordination. "It was a wonderful gesture, but get the people involved who need to be involved," he said.
The episode highlights the tension between grassroots mutual-aid efforts and the regulatory and administrative oversight that governs public housing properties â and the practical stakes for residents who rely on the pantry. It also comes as food insecurity remains a persistent concern for low-income households across Rhode Island, where community pantries often fill gaps that formal programs do not reach.
For now, the food will be distributed, but only within the four-hour window set by the housing authority.