Island Harvest Food Bank kicks off annual Turkey & Trimmings Collection Campaign
As higher grocery prices and other factors continue to burden Long Island families struggling to put food on their tables, the approaching holiday season is expected to be particularly difficult for the more than 221,000 Long Islanders identified as food insecure, according to a study released by Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.
In response to the increased demand on food pantries, between now and the end of the year, Island Harvest Food Bank will be conducting numerous community-based food drives, including the 16th Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive, on Friday, Nov 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s headquarters, 899 South Oyster Bay Road in Bethpage.
“We typically think of the holiday season as a time to gather with family and friends, give thanks for what we have and make resolutions about the future.” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest. Unfortunately, this year, many of our neighbors on Long Island will still struggle to afford a traditional holiday-style meal of turkey and all the trimmings.”
According to the 2022 Map the Meal Gap report, it is estimated that 221,190 people on Long Island are food insecure, a 58.3% jump from the previous year. Island Harvest Food Bank expects to collect and distribute a record 20 million pounds of food this year through its network of community-based pantries, emergency feeding programs in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and its direct service programs aimed at children, older adults, and veterans.
Island Harvest’s 2023 campaign distributed 20,000 frozen turkeys and hundreds of thousands of pounds of nonperishable food. The food bank expects to distribute 23,000 turkeys across Nassau and Suffolk counties this holiday season.
“Generous Long Islanders and the business community have been remarkable in donating what they can to help their less-fortunate neighbors enjoy the warmth and joy of a traditional holiday meal spent with family and loved ones,” said Shubin Dresner. “We at Island Harvest are confident that they will once again show their spirit of what the holiday truly means and support our Turkey and Trimmings Collection Campaign again this year.”
Among the items needed are frozen turkeys, chicken, and ham; nonperishable food items (such as cereal, rice, pasta and stuffing mix); canned vegetables and gravy (without glass jars or containers); shelf-stable milk and juice; supermarket gift cards; and monetary donations.
Frozen turkeys and nonperishable food can be dropped off at any Panera Bread or QuickChek convenience store locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties, or Island Harvest Food Bank, 126 Spagnoli Road in Melville, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit Island Harvest’s website, www.islandharvest.org, for dates, times, and locations for other collection events.
