LI food groups step up holiday relief efforts

A massive 53-foot refrigerated container truck sat in a Bethpage parking lot, its doors swung open to reveal a vast empty space.

Island Harvest, the largest hunger relief organization on Long Island, is hoping to fill that truck with turkeys and Thanksgiving trimmings for needy families during the holidays. The more than 500 agencies that distribute Island Harvest's donations to the needy have requested 41,000 turkeys this year.

Along with the requests for 10,000 from Long Island Cares, another food agency, there is a call for 51,000 turkeys to be donated for hungry and struggling families on the Island - up 11,000 from last year.

"The economic environment has gotten worse," said Island Harvest's president and chief executive officer, Randi Shubin Dresner. "Many, many more people are in need."

Island Harvest kicked off a food drive Friday outside the Bethpage Federal Credit Union headquarters. By noon Friday, there were 2,100 frozen turkeys donated - most from a donation by Servpro of 1,500 turkeys. There were also 3,500 pounds of nonperishable food donated.

Dresner said that last Thanksgiving, the Island Harvest agencies requested 25,000 turkeys for their clients.

She spoke of a Plainview family with three young children that suffered a spate of terrible luck: father laid off, mother undergoing surgery, house in foreclosure, heating bills mounting, food pantries asking them to visit less often.

As the family drove by the Island Harvest truck Friday morning, they stopped in to inquire - and were promptly given groceries, Dresner said.

The giving spirit is out there. Brian Lynch, a Bethpage resident who lost his job in the printing industry five weeks ago, still found a way to donate to Island Harvest.

"I feel very fortunate to not have to look for services from them," Lynch said as he dropped off a modest donation of macaroni and cheese in boxes and canned fruit.

The Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead is also feeling the pinch, and says it's off to a slow start: The agency has only 20 bags of nonperishable Thanksgiving items. This time last year, it had 1,000 bags.

"We are desperate. We are so desperate for food," said INN's director of communications, Cynthia Sucich. "It's the economy. I think everybody is feeling it."

Last Thanksgiving, INN gave away more than 5,000 turkeys to people who came to its Hempstead facility, no questions asked, Sucich said. This year, she anticipates even more families in need. "We have to prepare," she said.

Long Island Cares said its food donations have been better than ever, with 300,000 pounds more food donated this year than at the same time last year. Paule Pachter, director of LI Cares, said he doesn't anticipate a rise in need. Last year, the more than 500 agencies that LI Cares supplies asked for 15,000 turkeys, and this year the number dropped.

"I don't see the demand increasing significantly over last year," Pachter said. "The economy is not improving significantly, but it is improving."

There remained, however, the issue of turkey supply versus turkey demand. LI Cares has about 4,500 donated turkeys in store.

"The problem is we have requests for 10,000 turkeys," Pachter said. "We're not going to give out 10,000 turkeys. I don't think there are 10,000 turkeys on Long Island."

Long Island food drives

For LI Cares

The group is partnering with several supermarkets to sell paper turkeys for $1, $3 or $5 with all funds being donated to local hunger relief efforts. The Check-Out-Hunger program runs through December in Stop & Shop, King Kullen, Foodtown, Wild by Nature, Kings, Shoprite and Fairway; and from January through March in Waldbaum’s and Pathmark.

Pride Automotive in Patchogue is hosting a food drive Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 20 customers with a $20 food donation will receive a gift certificate for an oil change.

Serra Brazilian Jitsu in Huntington and in East Meadow is hosting its annual food drive through Dec. 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Peak Performance Physical Therapy in New Hyde Park, Lynbrook and Island Park is collecting donations through Dec. 31 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday.

People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union Food Drive is collecting donations through Dec. 14 at the Westbury, Ronkonkoma and Hauppauge branches.

Donations are accepted year-round at the Harry Chapin Food Bank in Hauppauge Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Also ...

Island Harvest is accepting donations at multiple locations, including Panera Bread cafes and 7-Eleven convenience stores. A full list is at islandharvest.org.

The Interfaith Nutrition Network is accepting donations at Mary Brennan Inn at 100 Madison Ave. in Hempstead. The soup kitchen is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily for lunch. Call 516-486-8506.