LONG ISLAND CARES TO SPONSOR VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE DURING SEPTEMBER TO HIGHLIGHT HUNGER ACTION MONTH

Long Island Cares, Inc. – The Harry Chapin Food Bank will be helping Long Islanders register to vote during the month of September to coincide with Feeding America’s “Hunger Action Month.” The regional food bank will be registering people to vote at each of their 3 satellite locations in Freeport, Lindenhurst and Huntington Station as well as their main administrative building and distribution center in Hauppauge.  According to Michael Haynes, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Long Island Cares, “We are distributing voter registration forms in both English and Spanish to interested clients, volunteers, staff, and community residents throughout September.  Once the forms are completed, we will mail the form for them.  We’re also distributing a flyer containing the information on how to fill out the form online.  We want to make registering to vote as easy as possible for new voters and to empower  the people we assist who sometimes might feel they are without a voice in our political process. .”         
Long Island Cares’ social media staff will be publicizing the voter registration drive on the organization’s website, Facebook and Twitter.  Haynes who heads Long Island Cares’ Chapin Center for Public Policy has already been sharing “Vote to End Hunger” tweets that encourage the public to register and vote this coming Election Day.  In addition, voter registration tool kits and voter registration forms (English & Spanish) has been shared with Long Island Cares’ 574 member agencies.  “We’re also going to tracking how many voter registration forms we distribute to the public and hope that people not registered will register,” said Haynes.
“The stakes are very high is this year’s election,” said Long Island Cares CEO, Paule Pachter.  “Collectively with our member agencies we assist more than  316,000 people and I’m sure many are not registered to vote.  People need to know that decisions are made in Washington and Albany that affect the well-being of all Americans,  including those that are struggling with hunger or low food security.  Too often there is a perception that people living in poverty or near poverty don’t vote and that people in need are disinterested in the political process.  In our own way we’re going to try and make a difference for Long Islanders by encouraging them to take advantage of their right to vote and have a voice.”
For more information about how you can register to vote, call (631) 582-FOOD or follow Long Island Cares on Facebook and Twitter.  For media inquiries, call Robin S. Amato CFRE at 631-582-3663 ext. 103.
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About Long Island Cares, Inc.
Long Island Cares, Inc. – The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank is Long Island’s regional food bank since 1980.  Long Island Cares brings together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry and food insecure on Long Island and to the best of our ability, provide for the humanitarian needs of our community.  Our goals are to improve food security for families, sponsor programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency and educate the general public about the causes and consequences of hunger on Long Island.  Our vision is “A Hunger Free Long Island.”  The organization was founded by the late singer, Grammy Award winning songwriter and social activist Harry Chapin in response to the growing issue of domestic hunger on Long Island.  It is continued today by his wife and partner Sandy Chapin, a dedicated Board of Directors and talented staff working out of our 35,000 square foot main facility in Hauppauge and satellite hunger assistance centers in Freeport, Lindenhurst and Huntington Station.  Long Island Cares is a member of Feeding America, the Long Island Association, and the Hauppauge Industrial Association.  Long Island Cares, Inc. is recognized by the NYS Department of Health and the USDA as the regional food bank for Long Island.