Press Release: Health & Welfare Council of Long Island Supporting Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive on Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Public -Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI)

May 7, 2024

Press Release: Health & Welfare Council of Long Island Supporting Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive on Saturday, May 11, 2024

Health & Welfare Council of Long Island Supporting Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive on Saturday, May 11, 2024

Food collected locally will benefit Island Harvest Food Bank to help Long Islanders struggling to put food on their tables

LONG ISLAND, NY — May 7th, 2024, Health & Welfare Council of Long Island is joining Island Harvest Food Bank, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), and the United States Postal Service (USPS) in support of the annual Stamp Out Hunger® food drive, the nation’s largest single-day food collection campaign. The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is on Saturday, May 11, 2024, and all Long Island residents are encouraged to leave non-perishable food donations by their mailbox for their letter carrier to collect. All food collected in Nassau and Suffolk counties will benefit Island Harvest by providing supplemental food support to more than 300,000 Long Islanders who face hunger and food insecurity, including nearly one-third of those who are children.

“Contributing to Stamp Out Hunger is simple,” says Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest. Just leave nonperishable food items in a bag next to your mailbox before the regularly scheduled mail delivery on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Then, your USPS letter carrier will do the rest to help ensure that it gets onto the tables of our Long Island neighbors in need.”

“The Health and Welfare Council is happy to support Island Harvest’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive”, said HWCLI President & CEO, Vanessa Baird-Streeter. “Access to food is a fundamental human right and by participating in the food drive, we actively contribute to ensuring that everyone can put food on their table. While the food drive addresses immediate needs, it also highlights the systemic issues contributing to hunger. As an umbrella organization, we will continue advocate for policy changes that address poverty, food insecurity, and inequality”.

Nonperishable food items needed include canned goods, cereal, pasta, rice, boxed juices, and shelf-stable milk (please, no food or juices in glass containers). In addition, personal care items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, and disposable diapers are gratefully accepted. All donations collected will help replenish Island Harvest’s network of food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency feeding programs in communities throughout Long Island.

“Even if it’s a can of soup or a box of cereal, every donation, no matter the size, will help countless Long Islanders who may be struggling to put food on their tables,” explains Ms. Shubin Dresner, who noted that the food bank distributed 16 million pounds of food in 2023, a 64% increase over 2019 (pre-pandemic levels). “We are counting on the generosity of our neighbors who can spare a little extra to help make this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive one of the most successful.”

Since its inception in 1993, Stamp Out Hunger has collected more than 1.75 billion pounds of food in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to help address the issue of hunger in America.

“The National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 6000 and the United States Postal Service are excited to once again partner with Island Harvest for this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food collection,” said Tom Siesto, Executive Vice President, NALC Branch 6000. “The members of Branch 6000 and the employees of the United States Postal Service often see firsthand the widespread issue of food insecurity on Long Island and are thrilled to take part in this very important campaign and give back to the local communities that they serve.”

“Our letter carriers stand ready to Stamp Out Hunger on Long Island. We are thrilled to be working with Island Harvest Food Bank and National Association of Letter Carriers to join the mission and ensure every resident has access to a meal,” said the Postal Service’s District Manager John Tortorice.

This year’s Stamp Out Hunger collection campaign on Long Island is generously supported by presenting sponsor National Grid, lead sponsor JPMorgan Chase & Co., and major sponsors Allstate, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Dime Community Bank, Empire Automotive Group, Nonna’s Garden, Rheem ProPartner, and Stop & Shop, and supporting partners College Hunks Moving, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Amazon, and Steel Equities. All donations to Stamp Out Hunger are tax-deductible because all the food collected benefits Island Harvest, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

About Health & Welfare Council of Long Island
Established in 1947, the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI) is a regional, nonprofit umbrella organization for health and human service providers dedicated to improving the lives of Long Island’s most vulnerable residents by responding to their needs through the promotion and development of public policies and direct services. To learn more, visit www.hwcli.org or call 516-483-1110.

About Island Harvest Food Bank
Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading human services organization whose mission is to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. We accomplish this through innovative programs and services aimed at enhanced hunger awareness, short-term case management, nutrition education, outreach and advocacy initiatives, our Healthy Harvest Farm, a Workforce Skills Development Institute, and efficient food collection and distribution. Our work directly supports children, families, seniors, and veterans who turn to us in times of crisis and supports a network of community-based nonprofit organizations. Island Harvest Food Bank is a member of Feeding America^®, a nationwide network of food banks leading the effort to solve hunger in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.islandharvest.org.
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Island Harvest Food Bank Media Relations Contact:
Don Miller, West End Strategies, Ltd., 516-330-1647don@westendstrategiespr.com

Health & Welfare Council of Long Island Contact:
Angela Porwick, 631-935-5214, Aporwick@hwcli.com

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