Long Island Cares, Inc., The Harry Chapin Food Bank recently issued a total of $64,680 in small grants to support operational and capital expenditures to fifty-three local food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency food programs that contract with the regional food bank. The grants represent the first round of approximately $200,000 in funding from the New York State Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program that Long Island Cares annually provides to support equipment purchases, utility expenses, personnel costs and other operational needs of eligible local member agencies. Long Island Cares currently supports 576 community-based member agencies including, pantries, soup kitchens, day care centers, senior day programs, Veterans services, residential programs and more.
In addition to annually delivering more than 7 million pounds of emergency food and other resources to local programs that feed the hungry in Nassau and Suffolk County, Long Island Cares through its contract with the New York State Department of Health, HPNAP Program also provides staff training on food safety, nutrition education, advocacy services and grants to insure that local organizations have the necessary resources to assist people in need. According to Kristine Lehn, Chief Network Officer at Long Island Cares, “Our member agencies are on the front lines of providing food to our neighbors struggling with food insecurity and hunger. With the continued support that we receive from the HPNAP Program we are able to help our agencies meet some of their expenses which allow them to maximize their efficiencies and services.” Said Lehn, “The majority of our community agencies are staffed by volunteers and operate with annual budgets of less than $50,000. The grants we’re able to provide are very important in maintaining high-quality services in our network of food pantries and soup kitchens that serve more than 300,000 people.”
For more information about Long Island Cares or to locate the nearest food pantry, soup kitchen or other emergency food community resource visit www.licares.org or call (631) 582.FOOD.