Huntington Boy Volunteers At Long Island Cares To 'Give Back'

HUNTINGTON, NY — Sam Lavitt was only 11 when his mother first took him to volunteer at Long Island Cares, an organization dedicated to serving Long Island's hungry and food insecure populations.

Lavitt is now 18 and still volunteering for the Harry Chapin Food Bank. And he has no plans on stopping his volunteer work, according to a news release from Long Island Cares.

"Volunteering so young gave me a sense of how important it is to give back to the community," Lavitt said. "It also helped me get outside my comfort zone."

Lavitt has become a regular when it comes to giving back. He volunteers every Tuesday afternoon at Long Island Cares's Huntington Station satellite and has missed only a week here and there for the past seven years.

While Lavitt said he was reluctant to volunteer for the food bank at first, the experience opened him up to it.

Lavitt stayed strong through the coronavirus pandemic and continued to volunteer, even when many other volunteers left, according to Long Island Cares.

He started off doing little things, but once he reached eighth grade, he started helping Long Island
Cares patrons.

Lavitt recalled the first person he ever helped at Long Island Cares.

"He was a veteran, and we would come in every Tuesday throughout my 8th grade school year," Lavitt recalled. "I developed a bond with him. I don’t remember much else about him, but I remember how happy he was when we had peas available. He was the best first client I could have possibly had. He showed me that I could really do it and be a successful volunteer.”

Currently, Lavitt mainly works in the back where he helps to stock shelves and organizes goods in a way similar to a supermarket. He finds it relaxing and enjoys it when things are tidy.

Even with college on the horizon and a bright future ahead of him, Lavitt is reluctant to give up
his services at Long Island Cares.

"I never really want to leave Long Island Cares," he said. "And I feel that it's not acceptable for
me to leave because there’s no other alternative that gives back like Long Island Cares does."

Lavitt is willing to work at other pantries wherever his life leads because he knows tackling food
insecurity is no easy task, and that every little bit helps. And to other kids on the fence about volunteering, Lavitt offered some advice.

"It’s important to get involved with giving back early on. It's important to have young volunteers
that the community can rely on for longevity and who will be around for the future. While
volunteering may not seem worthwhile to you, all you need to remember is that you will make
the day of the person you help and ultimately make the world a better place."