Newsday Charities Help-A-Family logo.

Newsday Charities Help-A-Family logo.

The numbers are staggering.

There are 228,000 Long Islanders, including 68,000 children, who currently face food insecurity and hunger. Paule Pachter, the chief executive of Long Island Cares, says his organization has seen an increase of close to 50% in the number of people coming to the organization's pantries due to the rising cost of living pumped up ever so much more by inflation. 

Since 1980, Long Island Cares has provided nutritional food and support services for a network of more than 347 community-based agencies across the region. As the need for food among Long Islanders continues to grow, donations to local food banks have steadily decreased. Pachter notes that people are still donating, but not as much as they did during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Between January and September, the organization spent $2.7 million on food, compared with the $1.9 million they budgeted. Newsday has reported that Long Island Cares distributed over 813,385 meals from Jan. 1 to Oct. 21 this year, up from 496,704 meals the year before, at its five satellite pantries.

These numbers will continue to increase, but you can help to blunt the impact for your neighbors.

Newsday’s Help-A-Family campaign will directly assist organizations like Long Island Cares to support the region's most vulnerable communities. Pachter calls it a “lifeline for many” as the funds help to support direct service programs that address the needs of children and homeless people. 

Newsday has had a program to support Long Island communities since the 1950s. The first program was called Adopt-A-Family. It has changed over the years and eventually became the nonprofit Newsday Charities. Every year through its Help-A-Family program, Newsday Charities funds agencies that focus on hunger, homelessness, child abuse, and youth education. Last year, L.I. Against Domestic Violence, North Shore Child & Family Guidance, Catholic Charities, Hope for Youth, MOMMAS House, Options for Community Living, and Hispanic Brotherhood were among 17 local nonprofits across Long Island that received $611,000 in grants from Newsday Charities. 

Additional grants are currently under review for distribution in December. Newsday covers all administrative fees so 100% of the money donated goes to these organizations, guaranteeing that all the money stays here on Long Island. 

With the holidays upon us, it’s important to remember not just our friends and family, but our neighbors who may be struggling with life’s daily necessities. A small act goes a long way for a person who doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from. You can be a lifeline for families across Long Island with a donation to Help-A-Family this holiday season. 

To learn more, or to donate, please go to newsdaycharities.org or call 631-843-3056.

Thank you.

MEMBERS OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD are experienced journalists who offer reasoned opinions, based on facts, to encourage informed debate about the issues facing our community.

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