Island Harvest Sends Truckloads Of Donations To Puerto Rico

After Hurricane Maria recently left Puerto Rico ravaged last week, Island Harvest Food Bank sent two truckloads of food, bottled water, and personal care items to San Juan.

The first shipment of bottled water left Island Harvest Food Bank’s East End Distribution Center in Calverton last Wednesday, followed by a delivery of food and personal care items from its Hauppauge Distribution Center.

The shipments, which will be ongoing for the next several weeks, are being coordinated by Feeding America which is working with regional food banks to move product to San Juan through Newark and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Watch: Trump Arrives In Storm-Ravaged Puerto Rico

According to Feeding America, the operation is part of a two-fold mission in cooperation with United Airlines to deliver food and supplies to Puerto Rico and bring back people stranded on the storm-ravaged island.

Island Harvest Food Bank also announced it is continuing its efforts in collecting donations for the people in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico impacted by the recent, devastating storms.

The products most in need are:

• Pop-top ready-to-eat items
• Shelf-stable pantry items such as peanut butter, tuna and soup (no glass containers)
• Bottled water
• Cleaning supplies (bleach, non-bleach cleaners, paper towels, gloves, etc.)
• Personal hygiene items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, shampoo, etc.)

Donations of nonperishable food and supplies will be accepted at the following locations:

• Island Harvest Food Bank - 15 Grumman Road, West, Suite 15450 in Bethpage (weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.)
• Island Harvest Food Bank - Hauppauge Distribution Center on 40 Marcus Boulevard in Hauppauge (weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
• Island Harvest Food Bank - Uniondale Distribution Center on 875 Jerusalem Avenue in Uniondale (at the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility) (weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
• Westfield South Shore Mall, Main entrance vestibule (near Panera Bread) - 1701 Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore (daily from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
• Westfield Sunrise Mall, Entrance #6 near Bar Louie - 1 Sunrise Mall in Massapequa (daily from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
• Christopher Morley Park Administration Building - 500 Searingtown Road in Roslyn (daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Eisenhower Park Golf/Driving Range - 1899 Park Boulevard in East Meadow (daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Cedar Creek Park Administration Building - 3340 Merrick Road in Seaford (daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Grant Park Administration Building - 1625 Broadway in Hewlett (daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Oyster Bay Town Hall North - 54 Audrey Avenue in Oyster Bay (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
• Oyster Bay Town Hall South - 977 Hicksville Road in Massapequa (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
• Town of Oyster Bay Hicksville Athletic Center - 167 S. Broadway in Hicksville (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
• Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center - 1001 Stewart Avenue in Bethpage (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
• Massapequa Park Village Hall - 151 Front Street in Massapequa Park (weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

In addition to product donations, Long Islanders may also contribute funds to assist in the relief efforts, of which 100 percent will be directed to hurricane recovery.

Checks can be made payable to “Island Harvest Food Bank/Hurricane Relief” and sent to Island Harvest Food Bank, 15 Grumman Road, West, Suite 1450, Bethpage, NY 11714.

Contributions of funds can also be made online at islandharvest.org.

Pictured from left to right: Elizabeth Notarbartolo, Migdalia Otero, Jeremy Waite and Hillary Hess.

Photo credit: Island Harvest Food Bank