November 1, 2013 - New York State has awarded Long Island Cares, Inc. - The Harry Chapin Food Bank with a $734,930 grant as part of a $200 million Superstorm Sandy Social Services Block Grant program aimed at supporting human service organizations, including food banks that are actively involved in disaster relief and recovery efforts.
The grant to Long Island Cares, Inc. will enable the organization to expand the freezer capacity in its warehouse by 9,000 additional cubic feet allowing the regional food bank to store more frozen products including meats, poultry, fish and other products in the event of a future crisis. In addition, the food bank will construct a larger cooler in order to refrigerate additional fresh produce, milk, other dairy products and more when needed. The grant will also support Long Island Cares' two community-based assistance centers in Freeport and Lindenhurst, which continue to serve thousands of families recovering from Superstorm Sandy along Long Island's south shore communities. Lastly, the funding received will enable Long Island Cares to increase its inventory of non-food related products that families still need as they rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the 2012 storm.
Long Island Cares, Inc. recently implemented Phase Two of its disaster recovery efforts by revisiting the more than 14,000 people that were assisted during the first year following Sandy. The additional funds provided through the social services block grant will insure that these services continue at least through the end of 2015 and perhaps further as a result of corporate and private donations that continue to be received. Long Island Cares' Executive Director Paule Pachter met with Governor Andrew Cuomo on October 16 to thank him for the additional support from New York State and described some of accomplishments that the organization has made in assisting local families and communities in need. "We're extremely grateful to Governor Cuomo and the state legislature and the Department of Health and the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery for this additional support towards the work of the regional food bank," said Pachter. "There are many wonderful organizations on Long Island that are also being supported through this state block grant and we look forward to collaborating with them as well because it's all about helping people put their lives back together in a meaningful way."
About Long Island Cares, Inc.
Long Island Cares, Inc. - The Harry Chapin Food Bank is Long Island's first food bank: serving the hungry on Long Island since, 1980. Long Island Cares brings together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry on Long Island and provides emergency food where and when it is needed, and sponsors a wide variety of innovate direct service programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency. The organization was founded by the late singer, Grammy Award winning songwriter and social activist Harry Chapin in response to the growing issue of hunger on Long Island. It is continued today by his wife and partner Sandy Chapin, a dedicated Board of Directors and talented staff working out of their 35,000 square foot facility in Hauppauge and their storefront hunger assistance centers in Freeport and Lindenhurst. Long Island Cares is a member agency of the Food Bank Association of New York State and Feeding America. Long Island Cares, Inc. is recognized by the NYS Department of Health and the USDA as the regional food bank for Long Island.