Long Island Cares, Inc. - The Harry Chapin
Food Bank is pleased to announce its partnership
with the Animal Relief Fund Inc. (ARF), that will
make pet food available to pet-owning families in
need in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Long Island
Cares will warehouse pet food supplied by ARF and
pet food corporations and distribute it to those
agencies in their network who request
it.
"Long Island Cares is in the
vanguard of New York Food Banks in recognizing
that, more often than not, there is a four-legged
member of the family that needs food," said Susan
Kaufman, Founder and President of the Animal
Relief Fund. Paule Pachter, Long Island Cares'
Executive Director was very supportive of the idea
when first approached. "It really makes
sense," said Pachter noting that pet food, like
personal care items is not covered by any
entitlement but is sorely needed. "A family
with limited resources shouldn't have to give up
their pet....who may in fact bring much comfort to
the family in tough times." Pachter went on
to say that Long Island Cares frequently gets
requests for pet food from their network of
agencies and pet owners, especially those
struggling in the current
recession.
ARF, a not-for-profit
organization based in New York City, is trying to
expand their efforts on Long Island. Their
goal is to help keep pets and families together by
distributing donated pet food but they have
limited distribution access on the
Island. That's when they approached
Long Island Cares. Said Kaufman, "I knew
that Long Island Cares was a leading organization
in emergency food distribution to families in
need. In one meeting, we were able to come up with
a collaborative plan to achieve pet food
distribution on Long Island to needy families with
pets."
Long Island Cares was founded
in 1980 by the late singer/activist HarryChapin in
response to the immediate needs of hungry Long
Islanders. It is continued today by his wife
and partner SandyChapin who serves as Board
Chair. Long Island Cares provides emergency
food where and when it is needed and sponsors
programs that help families achieve
self-sufficiency. They are dedicated to
promoting the food welfare of Long Island; to
raising the nutritional standards of our
communities; to bringing into closer relation the
food resources and food needs of the community,
and to encouraging food self-reliance for all Long
Islanders. Visit
www.licares.org.
