Ellen Shalvey had a lifelong passion for food, for her community and for being an advocate for children. When she passed away in 2021, her estate plan included a generous bequest to support the Food Bank to continue her legacy of giving back.
Ellen received a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University. Her large, close-knit family was at the center of her life, and she loved to host them for holiday meals and invite her nieces and nephews over for cooking lessons.
Ellen turned her passion and culinary knowledge into a career making sure that children had access to healthy food. Serving as the General Manager at Sodexo School Services in the Woonsocket School District for nearly 12 years, she oversaw the meal production for the school district. During her tenure, she implemented and oversaw programs that ensured kids had enough to eat and encouraged them to be interested and excited about healthy food. She ran the Woonsocket Backpack Program, which helps students avoid hunger on the weekends and school vacations when they can’t depend on school meals. She was also proud of her involvement with the Sodexo Future Chef Challenge, a national competition that teaches children about making healthy eating choices by encouraging them to make their own fun and nutritious snack recipes.
Ellen was a longtime volunteer with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, helping with our efforts to educate the public about hunger and food insecurity. Her family describes her as deeply committed to her community, always willing to help anyone in need.
We were honored by Ellen’s decision to make a planned gift to the Food Bank. Funds from her estate have helped us to feed those who turn to our network of member agencies for support and continue her legacy of ensuring that kids in our community do not go hungry.