They have served with honor and pride to protect our nation, yet, sadly, many veterans return from active duty only to face uncertain economic conditions. Veterans of the United States armed services often face financial hardship, and have problems finding jobs; some even find themselves wondering where their next meals will come from. Families of service members currently deployed are often confronted with similar challenges. And, while the problems persist throughout the year, they are often amplified during the holidays.
To help our veterans and the families of active-duty military personnel who are struggling to make ends meet, New York Community Bank (NYCB) and Island Harvest Food Bank are teaming up for a Veterans Day Holiday Turkey & Food Collection Drive. The event will be held on Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at NYCB’s Roslyn Savings Bank, 14 Conklin St, Farmingdale. Among the items needed for the food drive are frozen turkeys, nonperishable food items (except products in glass containers), and supermarket gift cards. Monetary donations are also welcome. Proceeds will benefit Island Harvest Food Bank’s Operation: HOPE program, which provides direct service to local veterans and military families.
The all-day event is expected to be attended by local veterans’ groups, elected officials, NYCB and Island Harvest Food Bank staff and volunteers, community-based service organizations, and hunger-relief advocates. Those unable to travel to NYCB’s Roslyn Savings Bank branch in Farmingdale on Nov. 11 can visit any of NYCB’s participating locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties to make donations. For a complete list of participating NYCB branches, go to www.myNYCB.com.
“We are relying on the generosity of Long Islanders to help our veterans by donating what they can at NYCB’s Veterans Day Holiday Turkey & Food Collection Drive,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO, Island Harvest Food Bank. “The men and women who have served, but now find themselves facing hard times, deserve a traditional holiday-style meal to help ease their struggles, and we’re grateful to partner with NYCB in offering our help to bring a little cheer to and make their holiday season a bit more hopeful.”
“New York Community Bank is privileged to partner with Island Harvest Food Bank to support veterans and military families. NYCB is honored to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those that have served our country. We invite employees, customers, neighbors and neighborhood businesses to take part in the food drive and help make a difference,” said Kelly Maude Leung, SVP Corporate Communications, New York Community Bank.
Island Harvest Food Bank’s Operation: HOPE was established on Veterans Day in 2011 to meet the growing need for food support and social-services-referral information for Long Island’s veteran and military families. Operation: HOPE is a direct-service program that operates out of a refrigerated Sprinter van, and delivers supplemental food and personal-care items directly to the homes of in-need Long Island veterans and their families. The mobile resource, staffed by volunteers who are themselves veterans, also provides vital information about services, referrals, and assistance accessing benefits to help servicemen and -women, and the families of those on active duty, get through tough economic times.
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 is a four-star-rated nonprofit by Charity Navigator, an independent charity watchdog organization. More information can be found at www.islandharvest.org.
