Island Harvest Food Bank joined with the Nassau County of Emergency Management, Feeding America, and VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) in seeking donations for the people in Texas impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
According to Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank, the products most in need are:
- Pop-top ready-to-eat items
- Shelf-stable pantry items such as peanut butter, tuna and soup (no glass containers)
- Bottled water
- Cleaning supplies (bleach, non-bleach, paper towels, etc.)
- Personal hygiene items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, etc.)
In addition to product donations, Long Islanders may also contribute funds to assist in the relief efforts, of which 100 percent will be directed to hurricane recovery. Checks can be made payable to “Island Harvest Food Bank/Hurricane Harvey” and sent to Island Harvest Food Bank, 15 Grumman Road, West, Suite 1450, Bethpage, NY 11714. Contributions of funds can also be made online at www.islandharvest.org. Financial contributions can also be made online at www.feedingamerica.org or www.nvoad.org.
Beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 30, donations of food and supplies will be accepted at the following location between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays:
Island Harvest Food Bank
15 Grumman Road, West, Suite 15450, Bethpage
Hauppauge Distribution Center
40 Marcus Blvd., Hauppauge
Uniondale Distribution Center
875 Jerusalem Ave., Uniondale (at the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility)
Beginning Thursday, Aug. 31, the following Nassau County Parks will also be collection sites:
Christopher Morley Park Administration Building from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
500 Searingtown Rd., Roslyn
Eisenhower Park Golf/Driving Range from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
1899 Park Boulevard, East Meadow
Cedar Creek Park Administration Building from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
3340 Merrick Rd, Seaford, NY 11783
Grant Park Administration Building from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1625 Broadway, Hewlett
“Food banks work side-by-side with first-responders on the front lines providing food and other essential items to people impacted by a disaster,” says Shubin Dresner. “There is a coordinated effort between disaster relief agencies and food banks across the country through the Feeding America network of food banks to make sure that there is an organized response so that relief reaches families in Texas quickly.”
Nassau County Executive Mangano stated, “Many agencies from across America came to Nassau County to help us recover from Sandy. This is our chance to help fellow Americans whose lives have been uprooted. Throughout southeast Texas roads are impassable. Homes are flooded. Electric power has been cut off for untold millions. Let’s pitch in to help the citizens in Texas and Louisiana who must rely on our help to restore their lives.”
Island Harvest Food Bank was on the front lines before, during and immediately after 2012’s Superstorm Sandy as a primary source of food, supplies, supporting the hardest hit communities as well as providing food to first responders, and has assisted communities across the U.S. when needed. In September 2015, the food bank tapped into its partnership with the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management and shipped 52 pallets of surplus MRE’s to flood ravaged South Carolina through the Harvest Hope Food Bank in Columbia, South Carolina.
“We are prepared to render any assistance need to support the people whose lives have been upended by Hurricane Harvey,” concluded Shubin Dresner. “Our Center for Emergency Response is always ready to assist Long Islanders impacted by fires, storms, and other disasters.”
