Who We Are
Long Island Cares is Long Island’s first food bank.
Founded in 1980 by singer-songwriter and activist, Harry Chapin, our organization is dedicated to serving Long Island’s hungry and food insecure populations.
Long Island Cares is one of almost 200 food banks across America that provides food to people impacted by hunger and food insecurity. When founded, Long Island Cares served a mere handful of agencies in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, but today, it distributes more than ten million pounds of food and supplies annually to nearly 400 member agencies in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and operates 5 satellite offices, plus our main office and warehouse in Hauppauge.
176K
Long Islanders Assisted from our pantries
Some Facts & Stats 2024
14 Million
Lbs of Food Distributed
5,458
Volunteers
Make a Difference
Give Back
Every dollar you give goes to helping a Long Islander in need. Please donate what you can and thank you for your help!
Looking for other ways to give?
Get Involved
Volunteer
We are always looking for motivated and generous people to lend us some of their time and skills to help those in need. Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch!
Are you between the age of 13 and 19?
Food Locator
Long Island Cares partners with a number of food pantries and soup kitchens across Suffolk andNassau Counties to help those in need. Use our tool below to locate the nearest food pantry or soup kitchen to you.