Citizens 4 Humanity Helps Feed East End's Hungry Over Holidays

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A local organization is rolling up their sleeves and joining hands and hearts to make sure every family on the East End has a warm, delicious meal on their holiday table.

For the past five years, Chef Marco Barrila of Insatiable EATS Catering has teamed up with Citizens 4 Humanity to coordinate efforts with local chefs and volunteers in cooking, preparing, and packaging complete holiday meals that are delivered to families, including single moms with children, who are in crisis on the East End.

Support is also given throughout the year, whenever possible.

Citizens 4 Humanity's East End Mission is a grass roots organization of “people helping people”, organizers said in a release. "Our goals are only accomplished through community support."

A large group gathered together recently on Thanksgiving to prepare food for the needy; more than 25 percent of those helped include struggling single moms living below the poverty line.

"We worked three days around the clock. Now we deliver on weekends throughout the month of December 31," said Sheila Barrila, Chef Marco's wife.

"We received lists of families in need from local community groups, schools and referrals. This is our fifth year, so people know they can call us when they are in distress. We have almost 80 families and have fed 31 since Thanksgiving so far. We feed families as we receive donations, so everything counts," she said.

Donations from individuals directly determine how many families that we can feed; donations pay for food purchasing costs to prepare complete holiday meals with gourmet trays of proteins, side dishes and desserts, she added.

"The families who are more appreciative than you can imagine. The gift of food helps them to enjoy an incredible holiday experience that they otherwise would not have," organizers said. "We have a long and growing list of families to feed and we can only feed a fraction of them. This year, our goal is to feed up to 100 families throughout the month of December, up until New Year's Eve."

Volunteers are also needed.

Organizers also want to thank supporters, including Cor-J Seafood in Hampton Bays, Cromer's Market in Sag Harbor, Round Swamp Farm in East Hampton, Green Thumb Organic Farm in Water Mill, Briermere Farm in Riverhead, and Fink's County Farm in Wading River.

To donate and help feed a family this holiday season, click here.