Hauppauge, NY - September 26, 2016 - New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Hochul recently met with Island Harvest Food Bank and local anti-hunger advocates to discuss the issue of food insecurity on Long Island and see first-hand what the food bank is doing locally to help solve this insidious, yet often unrecognized problem that persists in our communities.
The Lieutenant Governor also toured Island Harvest Food Bank’s Hauppauge Distribution Center and spoke with volunteers from PSEG Long Island who were on-hand sorting and packing up food to be distributed among the Island Harvest Food Bank’s network of member agencies across Long Island.
Lieutenant Governor Hochul issued a proclamation in recognizing September as “Hunger Action Month,” an annual, a national call to action highlighting the chronic problem of hunger in our local communities and across America, and she commended Island Harvest Food Bank for the important work they do in helping our most vulnerable neighbors on Long Island.
About Hunger on Long Island
Hunger is a state in which people do not get enough food to provide the nutrients for active and healthy lives. It can result from the recurrent lack of access to food. More than 316,000 Long Islanders face the risk of hunger every day, according to Island Harvest Food Bank and Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization. Those facing hunger include adults (often working two jobs), seniors and veterans. Unable to make ends meet, they (and their children) are often forced to go without food. Approximately 70,000 individuals seek food assistance in Nassau and Suffolk counties each week through soup kitchens, food pantries and other feeding programs served by Island Harvest Food Bank.
About Island Harvest Food Bank
Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading hunger-relief organization that provides food and other resources to people in need. Always treating those it helps with dignity and respect, its goal is to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island through efficient food collection and distribution; enhanced hunger-awareness and nutrition-education programs; job training; and direct services targeted at children, senior citizens, veterans, and others at risk of food insecurity. As a result of Island Harvest Food Bank’s dynamic business model, more than 94 percent of expended resources go directly to programs and services that support over 316,000 Long Islanders facing hunger. Island Harvest Food Bank is a lead agency in the region’s emergency response preparedness for food and product distribution, and is a member of Feeding America®, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization. Island Harvest Food Bank is a four-star-rated nonprofit by Charity Navigator, an independent charity watchdog organization. More information can be found at www.islandharvest.org.
Photo caption: Lt. Governor Kathleen Hochul is joined by Island Harvest Food Bank staff, member agencies and volunteers in proclaiming September “Hunger Action Month.” The proclamation was issued amid locally-grown potatoes destined for Long Island’s food insecure families. Island Harvest Food Bank’s partnership with the Long Island Farm Bureau and local farmers is the leading farm-to-food bank program in New York State.