LONG ISLAND CARES & USDA TEFAP PROGRAM PROVIDE MORE FOOD TO PEOPLE IN NEED IN 2016 MIDYEAR

Long Island Cares, Inc. – The Harry Chapin Food Bank reports that it received  a 30% increase in emergency food from the USDA for Long Islanders in need for the first six months of 2016 compared to the same time period in 2015.   This translates into a total of 1,699,441 pounds of federal commodity food for distribution, received between January and June through its contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).  
According to Paule Pachter, Chief Executive Officer for Long Island Cares, “President Barack Obama and members of the Long Island congressional delegation continue to support increased funding for the TEFAP Program which is allows Long Island Cares to access nearly 4 million pounds of quality food annually which we in turn provide to hundreds of food pantries across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.  The resulting increase this year has meant that we were able to deliver 267,000 additional pounds of food in the first six months to assist Long Islanders struggling with low food security including, 87,000 children.”
Long Island Cares has been administering the USDA funds for the region since 1983 working closely with the NYS Office of General Services and has seen funding from Washington, D.C. for hunger relief increase in the past eight years as a result of nationwide advocacy efforts from food banks.  “The Long Island  congressional delegation has always been supportive towards increasing the TEFAP Program that is administered by the regional food banks across America including Long Island Cares,” said Pachter.  “When members of Congress like Steve Israel, Kathleen Rice, Lee Zeldin and Peter King, all who have visited Long Island Cares support a commitment towards solving hunger and work closely with organization’s like ours who in turn are able to deliver the resources to 575 other programs it represents government doing its best work to lifting people up in a time of need.”
For more information about how you can help, log on to www.licares.org.  For media inquiries, contact Robin S. Amato, Long Island Cares’ Chief Development Officer, at 631-582-3663 ext. 103.