East Northport Food Pantry Gets Grant From Long Island Cares

EAST NORTHPORT, NY — Manna Ministries, a food bank in East Northport, received a $3,650 grant from Long Island Cares for staff expenses, a Long Island Cares spokesperson said.

Manna Ministries has been a Northport-area outreach of the Fountainhead Congregation church for more than 35 years. It has been a partner agency of Long Island Cares for more than 15 years.

In 2022, Manna Ministries fed 1,200 members of the food-insecure population per month. More than 60 percent of their clients come from the most under-privileged areas of Huntington and Brentwood. It distributes pet food, personal care, fresh produce, and health & beauty items in addition to food.

"Through all these years, this support grant has been our very first-ever financial assistance and we are just so thankful for this," said Marie Collins, director of Manna Ministries food pantry in East Northport. "It leaves me overwhelmed with gratitude and hopeful that with Long Island Cares’ help and our Lord’s blessing, Manna Ministries will be able to accomplish even more over the year ahead."

Manna Ministries also has an outreach called "Mariposa," or "Butterfly," which assists families that need diapers, baby food, supplies and clothing.

The organization serves people in the Town of Huntington, as well as in Brentwood and Central Islip, according to Kristine Kossegi Lehn, vice president of Network Services at Long Island Cares. Manna Ministries was one of the food pantries that continued serving people through the coronavirus pandemic.

Manna Ministries is in an area that has a shortage of food pantries, according to Lehn.

"The work that Manna Ministries performs is critical in our shared mission to end hunger on Long Island," Lehn told Patch. "They are responsive to the needs of their guests. Every individual they work with is treated with dignity and compassion."

The organization's mission statement is "To help the poor, underprivileged, unemployed families and individuals struggling to feed themselves." Staff pre-pack boxes, register clients, pick up food from various locations and help stock the pantry. Currently, the program is open every Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In January 2023, Manna Ministries served 295 households, which included 495 children, 629 adults and 260 seniors.

Operation Support is a grant issued to Long Island Cares member agencies through the NYS Department of Health Hunger Prevention & Nutrition Assistance (HPNAP) program. Organizations are required to complete an application stating need. All applications are reviewed by the HPNAP Advisory Committee, and awards are granted based on recommendations from the committee.