St. James, NY - November 12, 2015 - On Monday, November 9, students from St. James’ Harbor Country Day School delivered and sorted more than 1,000 pounds of nonperishable food items to the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry. The food was collected through the school’s annual food drive.
“Harbor Country Day is honored to contribute to the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry,” said John Cissel, Head of School at Harbor Country Day. “Community service and outreach is an integral part of our school, and I can think of no better recipient than the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry. Year-in and year-out, the organization provides an essential service to thousands of individuals and families in need. For our students to have the chance not only to collect the food, but to deliver the food and work hand-in-hand with the volunteers who run the facility – that’s an invaluable opportunity for them to see the impact of their hard work first-hand and become more engaged with their community.”
“We are grateful for the support Harbor Country Day School has given us for the past 15-plus years. We always look forward to seeing the children’s smiling faces as they arrive with their donation every year, eager to help us stock and sort the food,” said Pat Westlake, Director of the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry. “It’s because of organizations like Harbor that we are able to serve so many people throughout our community. We could never do it without them.”
The Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry has been serving Smithtown and the surrounding communities since it was founded in 1984. Last year, the organization assisted 2,280 families, and has fed more than 125 families every month throughout 2015.
About Harbor Country Day School
Founded in 1958 by conscientious parents, Harbor Country Day School is an independent, co-educational day school for children from preschool through 8th grade situated in St. James’ Village of Head of the Harbor. The school employs a whole-child approach to education, wherein its rigorous curriculum is supported by a broad program in its academic, athletic, advisory, and visual and performing arts departments designed to develop all aspects of each child's talents and interests. Harbor Country Day School’s summer camp program, Camp Harbor, is among the leading summer camp programs on Long Island. The school’s mission to “cherish childhood, cultivate wonder, and inspire confident learners and leaders” underscores every child’s experience at Harbor Country Day School and ensures that all of its graduates are prepared to lead fulfilling lives filled with wonder, confidence, and many successes.
Harbor Country Day School is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and is accredited by and a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). It is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization under section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees. For more information, visit www.hcdsny.org.
About the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry
In March of 1984, the members of seven church congregations within Smithtown saw a need to provide food to residents who could not afford to feed their families. This food pantry is run entirely by the volunteers of seven churches: Byzantine Church of the Resurrection, First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, Smithtown United Methodist Church, St Andrews Lutheran Church, St James Episcopal Church, St Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church, and St James Lutheran Church. The food pantry relies on the support of Smithtown residents, surrounding communities, schools, fraternal organizations, scouts, businesses, houses of worship and individual citizen donations.
