Long Island Cares awarding $83K to local food pantries

Long Island Cares is giving a total of $83,546 in grants to at least 21 local food pantries.

The money will help continue the response to an increase in need for emergency food assistance brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and continued job losses in the region.

Each food pantry or soup kitchen will receive up to $3,000 to cover some of their operations, infrastructure, staff salaries, equipment and other costs incurred in responding to a 63 percent increase in food insecurity on Long Island, according to a statement from the nonprofit.

The money comes from the New York State Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program funding that Long Island Cares administers through the NYS Department of Health.

“There are more than 330 local food pantries and other emergency food provider programs that have been responding to the increased need for food as a result of COVID-19, and we’re working closely with all of these programs to respond to needs of local residents struggling to feed their families,” Long Island Cares CEO Paule Pachter said in the statement.  “These agencies are on the front lines of our response efforts providing food to our neighbors in need and jeopardizing their own health and stretching their own resources to the limit.”