Food banks get help for nutrition efforts

Two Long Island-based food banks are receiving large grants to help with Sandy relief and childhood nutrition efforts.

Long Island Cares, based in Hauppauge, received a $200,000 grant from The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust for its Emergency Response and Recovery Services program, the food agency announced Tuesday. The money will be used for ongoing Sandy relief, including increased mobility to get donations to impacted areas.

In addition, Long Island Cares and Mineola food bank Island Harvest will receive multiyear grants from Stop & Shop for childhood-nutrition efforts.

Long Island Cares will get $125,000 per year for three years from the grocer for the food bank’s Kids Cafe after-school food and mentoring program, allowing the agency to provide full meals where it had only provided snacks before, and to expand the program to provide snacks in other areas.

Island Harvest will receive $75,000 per year for three years to provide produce and nutrition education to agencies that primarily serve children.