Brentwood, NY - May 5, 2015 - Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter and Suffolk County Legislator Monica Martinez will join fifth and Sixth grade students at Brentwood South Middle School in helping other students and community members by re-stocking the school's community food pantry beginning on Wednesday, May 6 at 11:00 am. The pantry has provided meals for hundreds of families in the Brentwood area. Unlike many other food pantries, the Middle School is open year-round and is entirely self-sustaining, operating without any government aid.
Many students in the Brentwood district are from families who had lived in Latin America, South America, and other parts of the world. The food pantry helps many of these families as they work to improve their lives in the United States and find a new home here. The district has the highest concentration of Latino and Central American students on Long Island.
According to LICares.org, 39 percent of Long Islanders who receive emergency food are under 18 years of age.
The pantry was started recently because of a very strong need in the school district for food items. It began with the aid of a volunteer from the school's Guidance Department. Unlike many other food pantries that are open only on holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, the pantry at the South Middle School is open throughout the year. In the past two years, the pantry has aided over hundreds of families throughout the area that are hungry and homeless.
