Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as “A household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” This impact of food scarcity affects 47 million people in America annually, 15 million of those Americans being children. That means that on Long Island food scarcity affects over 200,000 people every year. However organizations like Long Island Cares are aiming to fight this by providing nutritional food and support services for more than 374 community-based member agencies. Distributing 14 million pounds of food, equal to 11.5 million meals in the last year, LI Cares is helping to combat those statistics and they are not planning to stop there. 

This fight is not new though, as Long Island Cares has been on a mission to feed Long Island’s food insecure since 1980 when late singer/songwriter, Harry Chapin, founded the organization. According to the Long Island Cares website its goal is to, “Improve food security for families, sponsor programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency, and educate the public about the root causes and consequences of hunger on Long Island.”. This goal is displayed through the many programs that the charitable organization offers at its different locations in Nassau and Suffolk county. To start off one of the programs LI Cares offers is its mobile services. Including the Mobile Food Assistance Unit(MFAU) where the MFAU van delivers food directly where anyone needs, taking off the burden for some of going to a pantry for assistance. Another version of the MFAU vans is the Hope for the Homeless which supports the underserved homeless population focusing on providing housing information, housing referrals, personal hygiene items, and ready-to-eat meals. An extra mobile service is the Mobile Food Pantry which offers home delivery services, disaster relief, and emergency distribution services. One of the smaller services offered would be the Children’s Mobile Breakfast Food Truck which provides fully equipped vehicles that deliver nutritious breakfast meals for children experiencing low food security. The last mobile service is the “Supporting Our Seniors” program that delivers food packages to senior communities. Along with the mobile services are the many in-person food pantries that provide fresh produce and items ranging from canned goods to laundry detergent, available to anyone who walks in and needs the support. These pantries also facilitate Military Appreciation Tuesdays which support veterans and their families with food and household supplies. Not only does LI Cares go above and beyond to provide resources for human needs, but it also recognizes beloved pets. At the Baxter’s Pet Pantry in Lindenhurst, by appointment, a person can get dog or cat food, treats, litter, and toys for their animal. 

Along with providing food, LI Cares provides multiple educational programs for adults and kids alike. Just Say Yes To Fruits and Vegetables is one program that produces nutrition education workshops and demos that promote increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Student Hunger Advocacy Coalition(S.H.A.C) also gives 6-18 year olds the opportunity to learn about the needs of their community and how to help their neighbors in need. 

These resources can be found all over Long Island, including in Hauppauge, Bethpage, Freeport, the Hampton Bays, Huntington Station, and of course, Lindenhurst. There are also a multitude of ways to contribute to this organization and help the fight against hunger insecurity. By donating money or non-perishable food items, hosting a food drive, or even attending the multiple events LI Cares hosts throughout the year, anyone can help support food stability on Long Island. Volunteers are also a large part in helping sorting and packing food, managing community gardens, and distributing/organizing groceries in select food pantries. 

 With opportunities like these available, not only is LI Cares helping to break the stigma around seeking support for one’s family in places like food pantries, but is also helping thousands of people to have nutritional food options readily available. These resources can be fully discovered at licares.org, along with more information about how the organization helps specific communities. 

–https://www.licares.org/who-we-are/ 

–https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/definitions-of-food-security/ 

–https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/food-insecurity#:~:text=Food%20insecurity%20is%20an%20official,children%2C%20experience%20food%20insecurity%20annually.