A Time for Giving Back

This past year has been very hard on us all. Yet, one wonderful thing I’ve experienced over and over throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic is, either through financial donations or the willingness to volunteer precious time to help others, the amazing level of generosity people have demonstrated.

With the holiday season upon us, several annual efforts to make them brighter for families in need have become even more special and important. If you are able to help, here are a few suggested ways to lend a hand:

Toys for Needy Children

As a result of extensive planning and coordination with Governor Cuomo’s office, I am pleased to report that we will be holding our 10th annual toy drive in support of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program. The event will take place outside Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - rain, shine or snow - from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Dec. 6.

To protect volunteers and donors, this will be a strictly a drive-through event in which donors pull up to the drop-off point so that a small team of pre-designated volunteers can efficiently and safely collect new, unwrapped toys. Drivers will remain in their cars at all times, and masks will be required.

We are so thankful to everyone who has worked so hard to make this event possible this year. I’m especially grateful for the tireless efforts of Joe LaPadula and Jon Holzer of Martino Auto Concepts, and thank the Nassau County Police Department and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran’s team for helping us do all we can to make the holiday season brighter for deserving families. We hope you will join us and support this cause at a time when the need is so great.

If you can’t make it to the Coliseum, many businesses in our community will have donation boxes ready for your donations after Dec. 4. Please visit toysfortots.org for more information about drop-off locations or to make a monetary donation.

Closer to home, Port Washington PD Detective Tony Guzzello and the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce are continuing their philanthropic efforts through the Make a Child Smile Toy & Food Drive. While Detective Tony won’t be able to hand out toys to children at holiday parties like he normally does, I’m delighted that children will still benefit from the generosity of residents and local businesses. Visit pwcoc.org for a list of Toy & Food Drive drop-off locations.

Addressing Food Insecurity

Statistics indicate that food insecurity has tripled on Long Island during the COVID-19 pandemic - an alarming fact that should galvanize us all to continue working together as a community.

Over the past several months, your generous support of Island Harvest and many group and private food drives have enabled a steady flow of bags full of food and other necessities to be delivered to families throughout Glen Cove and seniors in the Butler Street complex. As part of Glen Cove’s “Do Good to Feel Good” program, Councilwoman Eve Lupenko Ferrante and I recently delivered masks, hand sanitizer and bags filled with skincare products to all of Butler Street’s 68 homes. Many of these seniors do not have family nearby and are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus because of their age and underlying health concerns. These visits also allow us to check in on our seniors, which is especially important because senior centers are still not open at full capacity.

In Port Washington, the Community Chest, Island Harvest, the Port Washington Food Insecurity Group and Our Lady of Fatima and St. Peter’s of Alcantara Outreach Centers have teamed up since March to ensure local families have enough food and other necessities.

Backpacks and School Supplies

We’ve also worked hard to meet the scholastic needs of young students during these tumultuous times. Working alongside the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association (PBA), we distributed approximately 1,500 backpacks filled with school supplies at Glen Cove High School in September. Some families waited for two hours for their backpack and were grateful to have received them.

These are just some of the many examples of how great the need is this year. Please continue looking after your families and your neighbors, and if you are able to support one of these causes, your contribution will truly go a long way. If you have any questions, please contact my office at 516-571-6211 or dderiggiwhitton@nassaucountyny.gov.

I wish you all the best for a safe, healthy and joyous holiday season!