HAUPPAUGE, NY — Long Island Cares helped dish out approximately 9,000 turkeys to food-insecure families across the island for Thanksgiving, the food bank announced. That doesn’t include the ham, chicken and trimmings the charity also doled out.
Contributions came from an anonymous couple; Stop & Shop; the New York Mets; and Carrion Accident & Injury Attorneys, PLLC. Of the 9,000 turkeys, Long Island Cares purchased more than 6,000 of them, a spokesman said. The food bank also purchased 3,500 chickens, 636 hams and 504 pork loins.
Long Island Cares provided more than 20,000 meals to families for Thanksgiving, as well as more than 600 gift baskets. The food bank also issued more than 2,500 meals to veterans in the community, said Robert LaBarbara, vice president for procurement and supply chain oversight of Long Island Cares.
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He thanked everyone who donated turkeys and other Thanksgiving food and those who participated in the charity’s Adopt-a-Family program.
“We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful donors and volunteers supporting our goal of helping families in need,” LaBarbara told Patch.
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Food insecurity is caused by several factors, including income, employment and disability, LaBarbara said. It can be short or long term.
“Our mission is to help those in need and bring together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry and food insecure on Long Island,” he said. “We rely on the kindness and generosity of our neighbors in the community to help us achieve this goal, especially during the holiday season.”
An anonymous couple donated 4,000 turkeys; Stop & Shop donated 1,000; the New York Mets donated 500; and Carrion Accident and Injury Attorneys donated 200.
“Helping those in need within our communities is a longstanding commitment at Stop & Shop and each year we look forward to donating turkeys to our food bank partners and our neighbors they serve,” said Daniel Wolk, external communications manager at Stop & Shop. “We were honored to once again donate 1,000 turkeys to Long Island Cares, an excellent food bank that works hard to combat hunger across Long Island, so more of our community members could better celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.”
The anonymous couple did not want to be identified, according to Long Island Cares, but they shared a quote they use from author Grace Lichtenstein.
“Work for a cause not for applause. Live life to express not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed just make your absence felt.”
Dennis Carrion said his law firm’s commitment to giving back goes beyond a “seasonal gesture.”
“It is a year-round philosophy deeply rooted in the belief that small acts of kindness can create significant positive change,” Carrion said. “Through our turkey donation initiative, we aim to spread joy, alleviate some of the burdens faced by families in need, and contribute to the creation of lasting holiday memories.”
Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.
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