Farmingdale Residents Asked To Visit Thrift Shop, Help Veterans: Ekstrand

FARMINGDALE, NY — With Veterans Day having been Thursday, Farmingdale Village Mayor Ralph Ekstrand and the board of trustees recognized the United Veterans Beacon House (UVBH) for helping and supporting veterans. The UVBH is a thrift shop at 301 Main St., Farmingdale.

The thrift shop is set to celebrate 25 years at its current location on July 4, 2022, after having opened in 1997.

"Supporting our Veterans by volunteering, donating (goods, cars, funds and more), as well as purchasing items at the thrift shop – goes a long way towards helping veterans," Ekstrand wrote.

Tiro Turbendian, of Farmingdale, manages the Farmingdale Village thrift shop.

Ekstrand encouraged residents to stop in and say hello to Turbendian, as well as browse, donate, inquire about volunteering and learn more about the thrift shop's programs.

The shop has a voucher program, but Turbendian said any veterans would be helped should they come in.

There is a donation bin in the back parking lot behind the UVBH shop, and another bin is in the parking lot of Stop & Shop on Motor Avenue. Donations are also accepted at the thrift shop. To learn more, residents can visit the UVBH website or call 631-665-1571.

"I have seen the transformation of the town from good to better to great," Turbendian said via news release. "This administration is doing great work, and put Farmingdale on the map. I hear from people coming into the thrift shop from Queens and Manhattan - that Farmingdale Village is a destination."

UVBH, based in Bay Shore, is a successful non-profit organization that supports thousands of veterans locally. Frank Amalfitano started as a volunteer for UVBH in 1994, then became a board member and has been president and CEO of Beacon House since 1999.

"We have been very successful in Farmingdale, it is much more than a thrift store," Amalfitano stated.

Roughly 30,000 veterans come through the UVBH programs, and UVBH manages or owns at least 40 to 50 homes on Long Island, according to Amalfitano. The organization provides for veterans in need, offering housing, emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent and affordable housing for families. Additional programs are provided for jobs, training, cars, transportation, a crisis team, food pantries and more, Amalfitano said.

"From birth to death, UVBH does wrap-around services," Amalfitano said.

UVBH networks and partners with United Way of LI, Veterans Affairs, Nassau and Suffolk counties, several banks, and others in the community. UVBH received pandemic funds.

"On behalf of the Farmingdale Board of Trustees and myself, thanks for the incredible support, dedication, generosity and wonderful impact that UVBH provides to the Veterans locally," Esktrand said. "Your efforts for Long Island Veterans are truly magnanimous."