“The 2nd Annual Summer Food Drive to End Hunger,” coordinated by Long Island Cares – The Harry Chapin Food Bank, yielded nearly double the pounds of food donated the previous year. The total donations were recorded at 39,109 pounds of food, which will be distributed directly to member agencies of Long Island Cares.
A press conference will be held on Tuesday, October 23, at 10 a.m. at Long Island Cares in Hauppauge to discuss the results of the food drive, which involved 12 New York State Assembly Members who worked together from June through September to help combat the issues of hunger and food insecurity on Long Island.
The elected officials stood outside of supermarkets across Nassau and Suffolk Counties to ask people to donate canned goods and non-perishable items for the regional food bank. In 2017, the food drive was held on 13 days, whereas in 2018, food drives were held on 24 days during Saturdays and Sundays nearly every weekend.
The following New York State Assembly Members participated in the “2nd Annual Sumer Food Drive to End Hunger:” Brian Curran, Michael Fitzpatrick, Andrew Garbarino, David McDonough, John Mikulin, Melissa Miller, Michael Montesano, Dean Murray, Anthony Palumbo, Ed Ra, Andrew Raia, and Doug Smith.
Approximately 316,000 people on Long Island receive emergency food each year – or 64,900 people every week. Of those, 39 percent are children under 18 years old.
Long Island Cares mission:
Founded by the late Harry Chapin, 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, provides 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.
Long Island Cares Summer Food Drive To End Hunger Yields More Than 39,000 Pounds of Food
October 24, 2018