HAUPPAUGE, NY — Long Island Cares has kickstarted its annual Adopt-a-Family program where the food bank encourages Long Islanders to donate food, organize food drives, or make donations to help feed families who might otherwise not have a decent Thanksgiving meal, the charity announced.
The food bank provides traditional ingredients for a full-blown meal.
Dr. Jessica Rosati, vice president for programs and community services at Long Island Cares, said the cost of goods has gone up, resulting in an overall increase in the use of food pantries and soup kitchens on Long Island.
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“Thanksgiving time yields numerous requests for assistance, and between the two food banks on Long Island, we do our very best to support our neighbors,” Rosati told Patch. “In 2023, all requests made by our network were met.”
In 2023, Long Island Cares distributed more than 13,000 Thanksgiving baskets and holiday meals, Rosati said.
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“Based on this year’s demand for basic foods, we know positively that the holiday demand will be sky high,” she said.
More recently, Long Island Cares has started providing culturally friendly food for Long Island’s Kosher, Caribbean and South American populations. The initiative started Sept. 1 and will continue through Nov. 15.
“Providing culturally relevant foods is very important because it offers a sense of belonging and connection in the community,” Katrina Hill, Long Island Cares vice president for network relations and capacity building, said. “It encourages those who seek those foods to get the help they need.”
The main drop-off location is Long Island Cares’s Center for Community Engagement at 75 Davids Drive, Hauppauge. Food can be dropped off 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Long Island Cares requested boxed or canned non-perishable items. This is the food needed for a full Thanksgiving meal:
Long Island Cares is also accepting gift cards to provide holiday foods from different cultures. Gift cards must have receipts and not be stapled to anything.
Families in need of help may contact Long Island Cares at 631-582-FOOD or visit its website. There, they will find the locations of food pantries and soup kitchen near them by entering in their ZIP code.
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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