Thanksgiving Food Drive A Huge Success!

Dear Friends:

Over three tons of food was donated to my Thanksgiving Food Drive!  At five collection sites throughout the 4th Senate District, generous donations totaling 6,274 pounds of food was collected and delivered to Long Islanders in need.

Thanks to your overwhelming response, generous donations helped stock the many food pantries and soup kitchens in our community that have difficulty keeping up with the demand.  We were able to supplement over 4,902 meals for Long Islanders who desperately needed our help. 

Donations for the Thanksgiving Food Drive were collected at five locations in my 4th Senate District throughout the month of November.  Those locations included my District Office; the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library; Islip Town Councilwoman Trish Bergin Weichbrodt’s Office; the West Babylon Public Library; and Lindenhurst Village Hall.  Prior to Thanksgiving, Island Harvest distributed the donations to food pantries and soup kitchens throughout Long Island.

According to recently released U.S. Census Bureau figures, more than 168,000 people live under the federal poverty line in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.  That's a 6.1 percent poverty rate, up from 5.3 percent before the recession hit in 2009.

There are currently 283,000 Long Islanders who rely on food from emergency shelters, food pantries, and soup kitchens.  They include children, seniors, women, the working poor, people with disabilities and middle-income earners. With the cost of food, insurance, and overall living costs rising, it has become more and more difficult for individuals to afford groceries. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all who donated to help another Long Islander in need!  Together, we can make a difference!

Best regards,

Owen H. Johnson
Member of the Senate