Island Harvest To Distribute Food To Furloughed Federal Employees

HAUPPAUGE, NY - Island Harvest Food Bank announced on Thursday that it has opened its Emergency Resource Center and will be hosting a special food distribution for federal workers affected by the ongoing, partial government shutdown.

The distribution event will be held on Friday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Island Harvest's Collection and Distribution Center on 40 Marcus Boulevard in Hauppauge.

Personal care items, including diapers, will be available.

In addition through its Emergency Resource Center, Island Harvest will be offering supplemental food support to impacted federal workers.

"A prolonged period without a paycheck exasperates an already tenuous situation for many who are struggling to make ends meet," Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank, said. "Long Island’s high cost of living often puts many working families a paycheck or two away from having to choose between putting gas in their cars, paying the rent, or mortgage, and feeding their family."

The Huntington-based Family Service League will also be offering opportunities to schedule mental health counseling services and provide information about its Project Warmth initiative to help with heating costs.

Island Harvest Food Bank and the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island will be assisting with applying for SNAP benefits; United Way of Long Island will be on-hand to offer assistance with prescription cards, and its 2-1-1 service, a 24-hour call center referral resource that links people seeking assistance with local agencies or organizations that can help.

There will be other available services to federal workers who are attending this event, including the distribution of NICE Bus passes available to assist workers who live in Nassau County and facing transportation issues.

"We’ve had a steady influx of federal workers walking in, or calling seeking help with putting food on their families’ tables, and inquiring about services offered by our corporate partners, such as local credit unions, banks, and utility companies," Shubin Dresner said. "We understand that many of the people seeking assistance have never asked for assistance before. It’s important for them to know that there’s no shame in asking for a helping hand and we want to reassure people facing a potential crisis that we’re here to assist and that all inquiries are strictly confidential."

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