Not only is Marc Perez an executive for Bank of America Long Island, but he has been recognized for being an active local leader and community servant striving to help others.
After initially joining the Bank of America team in 2000, Perez was named president of Bank of America Long Island – based out of Melville – in September 2021. As president, he leads initiatives to positivitly impact Long Island communities while aligning volunteer efforts for the more than 1,200 employees across the island.
Marc Perez volunteers at Long Island Cares. Photo courtesy Long Island Cares
In addition, he is responsible for delivering access to the capabilities of Bank of America’s eight lines of business to help enhance the well-being of the people, businesses and institutions that call Long Island home. Perez also serves as a market executive for Bank of America Private Bank, delivering responsible growth and client satisfaction.
“Over his 20-year career at Bank of America, Marc has established deep relationships with teammates, clients and the Long Island community,” Brian Moynihan, chief executive officer of Bank of America, previously said in a statement.
As a 20-year resident of Northport, Perez has also dedicated himself to his community – a passion he shares with his family, and that he often combines with his role at Bank of America.
“I have always admired the passion of people who volunteer and who dedicate their career to serve,” Perez said. “Volunteering of your time, effort or expertise is critically important – helping people in need helps empower our communities.”
Perez has served as a board member of Long Island Cares for seven years, but his involvement with this nonprofit dates back more than a decade.
“Along with my wife and two daughters, we have participated in several Long Island Cares volunteer initiatives, including food drives and collections to assist families in need,” he said. “Additionally, in my role as [Bank of America] Long Island president, I have the great opportunity to partner with local nonprofits to advance initiatives like the Power Up! program with the United Way of Long Island and Bold Future Leaders with Girls Inc.”
Perez said that this year, the Bank of America team on Long Island volunteered approximately 9,000 hours and Bank of America was able to provide funding, as well.
“Together, it’s the impact of both that makes me most proud,” he said.
Under Perez’s leadership and connections, his team has consistently supported initiatives in partnership with Long Island Cares, Island Harvest, Girls Inc., Habitat for Humanity and more.
This past year, Perez said he has two special memories of his volunteerism.
“It was an honor to be able to meet and speak to graduates of Island Harvest’s Workforce Skills Development Institute, a program that Bank of America helped to launch,” he said. “Engaging with the graduates, their families and the people involved in the program was inspirational and uplifting knowing that these graduates will go on to prosper in a new career.”
His second favorite memory? When he and his wife, Maryann, helped prepare Thanksgiving meals for Long Islanders in need.
“Not only do these moments keep me coming back to volunteer often but participating in these events helps fulfill a duty we all have to make our communities better for us all,” he said.
But just because 2023 is nearing the end, that doesn’t mean his community service stops, too. This coming spring, under his leadership, Bank of America will be hosting a Clean Up Day in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity in the Riverside community.
“There is no doubt in my mind that volunteering is motivating,” he said. “If you can get involved in volunteer work, I recommend that you find an organization whose mission you support and join their efforts.”
While running a company, managing a team and being a dad to two kids, Perez said that any spare minute of volunteering is 100 percent worth it.
“I realize that time is precious, since people have responsibilities at home and at work. However, every time I volunteer and give back, I am grateful to have contributed to building up our community,” he said. “There’s nothing like the feeling you get after positively impacting the lives of others. To quote Maya Angelou, ‘I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.’”
For his considerable volunteer work, Marc Perez is honored as a TBR News Media 2023 Person of the Year.
PSEG Long Island will host a food drive at Stop & Shop supermarket, 291 West Main St., Smithtown on Friday, July 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is one of six Power to Feed Long Island summer food collection events to benefit Long Islanders facing hunger. The food and supplies will be collected by Island Harvest Food Bank and distributed to Long Islanders through local agencies and their food programs.
Hundreds of thousands of Long Island families struggle with hunger throughout the year. During the summer months, there is a significant reduction in food donations to local food banks, pantries and programs. Compounding the issue, children are not in school where they can receive free and reduced-cost breakfast and lunch. In addition, the pandemic and the increased inflation rate have further strained local food pantries and emergency feeding programs served by Island Harvest. Long Islanders are being encouraged to remember their neighbors who are struggling to feed themselves and their families every day.
PSEG Long Island is providing the venue for Long Islanders to donate to their neighbors in need. The initiative aims to collect the equivalent of 50,000 meals from the first day of summer 2023 to the last. In the past two years, thanks to the generosity of Long Islanders, the equivalent of more than 60,000 meals was collected.
Food collection bins and a drive-thru option will be set up in the parking lot of the supermarket where the public can donate nonperishable items and household essentials for community members facing food insecurity.
Island Harvest requests the following:
Nonperishable food (no glass jars please): Healthy varieties of canned foods, such as low-sodium beans, vegetables, soups, pasta sauces and tomato varieties, tuna and chicken, along with rice, pasta, popcorn kernels, nut butters, olive and canola oil, spices and pet food
Household essentials: Toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent and dish soap
Personal care items: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, shampoo, conditioner, feminine care products and shaving products, antibacterial wipes and washcloths
Baby care items: Diapers, wipes, formula, creams, ointments and baby wash
The schedule of remaining collection events is:
July 28, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Stop & Shop – 95 Old Country Road, Carle Place
Aug. 11, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. at ShopRite – 3901 Hempstead Tpke., Bethpage
Sept. 1, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Stop & Shop – 3126 Jericho Turnpike, East Northport
Sept. 15, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Stop & Shop – 575 West Montauk Highway, West Babylon
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell and members of her executive team kicked off the fundraiser, presenting Island Harvest and City Harvest with an initial donation of $10,000 from the Daniel Gale Foundation.
29 Sales Offices from Brooklyn and Queens Across Long Island to Contribute Food and Funds throughout September, Hunger Action Month®
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty (DGSIR), a luxury real estate organization serving Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens has launched a month-long fundraiser to collect food and funds for Island Harvest Food Bank and City Harvest, two of the region’s largest hunger relief organizations. This companywide effort is part of Daniel GaleSotheby’s International Realty’s 100 Anniversary celebration, and the goal is to raise funds to provide 100,000 meals during the month of September, which is Hunger Action Month®.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell and members of her executive team kicked off the fundraiser, presenting Island Harvest and City Harvest with an initial donation of $10,000 from the Daniel Gale Foundation.
“With sales offices across Long Island and more than 1,000 real estate professionals, managers and support staff enthusiastically committed to our goal, we are eager to make this significant contribution to alleviate hunger in our communities,” said O’Connell. “Every office will be contributing and accepting donations of nonperishable goods and monetary donations online, as well as rolling up their sleeves as the boots on the ground.”
Randi Shubin Dresner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Island Harvest, explained the continuing need for food banks such as Island Harvest and City Harvest and the ways in which the Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty community can help.
“While Long Island is home to some of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the nation, one in ten Long Island families experience food insecurity at some point during the year. This includes school children who may have trouble concentrating in class because they went to bed hungry and woke up to a minimal, or no breakfast; seniors who helped to build our communities and now must choose between medicine and a meal; and our veterans who served our country but now face hard times. It’s our responsibility to make sure that no one on Long Island goes without food.”
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City was facing a profound hunger crisis—particularly in the marginalized communities that City Harvest has long served, with nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers, including one in five children experiencing food insecurity,” said Jilly Stephens, City Harvest Chief Executive Officer. “Those numbers surged during the pandemic and remain at historic highs with nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers, including more than 462,000 children, in need of assistance.”
In addition to contributing food and funds, Island Harvest and City Harvest will welcome volunteers from Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty to help them get food into the hands of those in need. Activities include volunteering at distribution centers, helping to sort donations or working at Island Harvest’s Brentwood farm.
“Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty has a 100 year tradition of serving our communities, and we couldn’t be more excited that to put our hands and hearts to work to help Island Harvest and City Harvest meet their goals to end hunger,” added O’Connell. “We will working individually and as a team to make a difference across Long Island from Brooklyn to our easternmost offices on the North Fork. Our team is ready and willing to work shoulder to shoulder with these two incredible food banks.”
Island Harvest Food Bank, a leading Long Island hunger-relief organization, received $96,500 from Stop & Shop’s Food for Friends campaign on June 24. According to Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO, Island Harvest Food Bank, funding received from the Food for Friends initiative will be used to hire a part-time, bi-lingual dietician to promote healthy eating habits among underserved populations in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Funding will also support Island Harvest Food Bank’s food collection and distribution programs.
Stop & Shop’s Food for Friends campaign raised more than $2 million for its 12 regional food bank partners, breaking all previous years’ donation records. Throughout May 2021, customers were able to give at checkout knowing that donation would stay local and fight hunger in their communities. 100% of the money raised went to Stop & Shop’s regional food banks in its service areas. Customers were also able to donate non-perishable food items at marked donation bins at each Stop & Shop store to benefit local hunger relief organizations, like Island Harvest.
“Stop & Shop is a longtime and valued partner in our mission to provide essential food assistance and promote positive health outcomes of the people we serve,” said Ms. Shubin Dresner. “We appreciate their ongoing support and generosity and thank their customers for their caring, too.”
“Stop & Shop’s Food for Friends campaign is symbolic of our relationship with Island Harvest,” said Stefanie Shuman, Community Relations Manager for Stop & Shop. “We couldn’t ask for a better friend and partner in the fight against hunger on Long Island.”
Pictured from left, Scott Svitek, MD, Chair, Allied Foundation Board and Partner, Allied Physicians Group; Melissa Passarelli, Director of Programs, Docs for Tots & New York State Act Early Ambassador, Help Me Grow-Long Island; Heather Edwards, Executive Director, Allied Foundation; Marc Suntup, Vice President of Development, Island Harvest; and Shannon Karafian Volunteer and Community Relations Coordinator, Island Harvest
In partnership with the Allied Foundation Diaper Bank, Long Island’s only diaper bank, Help Me Grow–Long Island recently donated 53,250 diapers and 43,200 baby wipes to struggling Long Island families for distribution through Island Harvest Food Bank. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, approximately one in three U.S. families experienced diaper need, a public health issue exacerbated by the growing economic and unemployment crisis caused by the pandemic.
Diaper costs are supported by a grant from The JPB Foundation through Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. This opportunity was made available by the Help Me Grow National Center to Help Me Grow–Long Island, an initiative overseen by Docs for Tots. The diapers are secured through the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN). As a recognized member of NDBN, a national nonprofit, The Allied Foundation Diaper Bank is given direct access to high-quality diapers needed to help keep all babies clean, dry and healthy in their communities.
The Allied Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded by Allied Physicians Group, based in Melville, has distributed 915,000 diapers to families in need in Suffolk, Nassau, Queens and Brooklyn since its inception in 2017. In all of 2019, the diaper bank distributed 45,000 diapers; however, because of the unprecedented demand for diapers, today the program is on track to distribute 1 million diapers in 2021 to help families who are less fortunate.
“Infants require up to 12 diapers a day, toddlers about eight making the cost as much as $80 per month, per baby. Clean, dry diapers are critical for ensuring good health to prevent illness and skin infection. More parents are struggling and simply unable to afford them due to loss of employment or other hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Allied Foundation Executive Director Heather Edwards.
“No state or federal child safety-net program allocates dollars specifically for the purchase of diapers,” explained Scott Svitek, MD, Chair, Allied Foundation Board and Partner, Allied Physicians Group.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 95 percent of the families that contact us need help with diapers,” said Melissa Passarelli, Director of Programs, Docs for Tots and Help Me Grow–Long Island Coordinator. “We have been working with our partners connecting families with diapers. This grant from the JPB Foundation allows us to get diapers into the hands of families who need them most.”
“Diapers and baby wipes are items that are in high demand among parents struggling to make ends meet, even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Marc Suntup, Vice President of Development, Island Harvest Food Bank. “Thanks to the generous donation by The Allied Foundation, Help Me Grow–Long Island and Docs for Tots, so many parents can now provide such essential products to help keep their babies safe and healthy.”
Tammie Smith, Stop & Shop’s Long Island Regional Director (left) join Randi Shubin Dresner, President and CEO of Island Harvest; and Peter Braglia, Chief Operations Officer of Long Island Cares for a photo at the Stop & Shop in Smithtown with the donated turkeys. Photo courtesy of Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop’s Turkey Express program donated 1,000 Thanksgiving Turkeys each to Island Harvest Food Bank and to Long Island Cares Inc., The Harry Chapin Food Bank, on Nov. 12, surpassing its goal of delivering more than 21,500 turkeys to hunger relief organizations in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island this holiday season.
Island Harvest has seen an overall increase of 47% of food distributed throughout Long Island this year and has helped more than 300,000 families since March.
Long Island Cares Inc. has reported a 43.1% increase in food insecurity vs.pre-COVID and has assisted over 172,000 Long Islanders since March.
Long Island Cares delivers a shipment of food to Island Heart Food Pantry in Mount Sinai. Director of the pantry Kathy Lahey said they have received a near doubling in clients since the start of the pandemic. Photo by Lahey
This post has been updated April 8 to give information about the Island Heart Food Pantry
By Leah Chiappino
In the wake of COVID-19, local food banks and pantries are struggling to keep up with increased demands, and in some cases decreasing volunteers and inventory.
For instance, Hauppauge-based Long Island Cares, a food bank that operates six distribution centers and has several mobile distribution events, has seen the closure of 44 out of the 349 food pantries to which it distributes. While their donations are down 23 percent, LIC holds more than a million pounds of food in inventory, and anticipates receiving an additional 375,000 pounds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Long Island Cares CEO, Paule Pachter, said the problem does not stem from lack of inventory, but public hysteria.
“With having to limit volunteers, it becomes hard for us to do mass distribution events when you have people in a panic yelling at our volunteers and staff demanding more food.”
— Paule Pachter
“People are starting to panic,” he said. “When you have people hoarding toilet paper, and coming to multiple distribution events, it becomes hard to handle. There are [some] 300 food pantries open that people can access. With having to limit volunteers, it becomes hard for us to do mass distribution events when you have people in a panic yelling at our volunteers and staff demanding more food.”
He added he is confident that school districts mostly have the resources to provide meals themselves, and only need limited help from outside sources. The food bank has responded to almost 650 COVID-19 related calls, and is operating a 24/7 hotline for those in need of assistance. LIC is continuing mobile distributions while practicing social distancing and leaving home delivery donations outside people’s doors.
Island Harvest Food Bank, also from Hauppauge, is seeing a dramatic influx of need, too, due to COVID-19, with donations down about 40 percent, according to Randi Shubin Dresner, the organization’s president and CEO.
The food bank started an emergency response plan about two weeks ago, while trying to still deliver food to local food pantries and community organizations. As more and more places closed, Dresner said the organization began to pursue other avenues to ensure those who are in need still have access to food.
“We have a long list of people waiting to get food from us,” Dresner said. “Every day there is hunger on Long Island, even in normal times. When you couple that with a pandemic, things become very difficult.”
Normally 90 percent of Island Harvest’s inventory is donated, but recently it had to make a $450,000 purchase of food supplies, an amount Dresner said is likely to double in the future. A large portion of the purchases are “family boxes” of food, enough to feed a family of four for four days. Others are individual meals and meals for seniors.
“There are tens of thousands of people that are homebound, and we can’t get to them all,” Dresner said. “We’re going to do as much as we can, and hopefully some of our partner organizations will be able to accomplish what we can’t. These are uncertain times and unchartered waters that we’re dealing with. People are scared, and we want to be responsive to as many people as we can, which is what we always do.”
A food pantry donation. File photo by Elana Glowatz
The organization is working to deliver food to homebound seniors and veterans. It is also partnering with school districts such as William Floyd, Copiague, Brentwood and Wyandanch to help supplement the meals the districts are providing and ensure there is enough to bring home to entire families, not just children.
Dresner said Island Harvest is committed to keeping safe practices. Employees are rotating working from home and going into the office, and field and office workers are separated.
The organization also employs what it calls community resource navigators, to help people apply for food stamps or referrals to other services. Dietitians are on staff to help with nutrition needs.
Dresner said the food bank has not had a problem attracting volunteers, as people who have to stay at home want to find a way to help out.
The CEO added Island Harvest is accepting prepared and unprepared food from various restaurants, caterers and country clubs.
The organization prefers monetary donations over food donations, as the organization specifically can buy bulk food at a discounted price. Monetary donations can be made on the organization’s website at www.islandharvest.org/covid. Those in need should email [email protected] or call the headquarters at 516-294-8528.28
Some local food pantries seem to be operating at a reduced level. The Ecumenical Lay Council Pantry in Northport, whose staple is allowing people to come in and feel as though they are shopping, is still operating during normal hours but by a drive-through process.
The Island Heart Food Pantry, which is located in Middle Island and has operated out of the Mount Sinai Congregational Church for 40 years, has had to reduce its normal bevy of volunteers to just three a day on average, according to director Kathy Lahey. This is the new rule, mostly to maintain social distancing.
Meanwhile, because so many surrounding food pantries have closed, she said they have seen a doubling in the number of people who come to pick up food, especially seeing a large increase in the number of children looking for meals, now that many don’t have access to breakfast and lunch at school.
Before the pandemic, the organization operated as a “client choice” pantry, where people could walk in to choose which foods they got. Now everything is done with the clients inside their vehicles. Volunteers, bedecked in gloves and masks, go to each, in turn, to ask what their preference is, before giving it to them in bags and having them head out as soon as possible.
“We’re adapting and changing things and everyone is getting used to it,” she said. “We want to offer as much compassion and understanding and a smile, especially if they come with kids in the car.”
A sample of foodstuffs at the Island Heart Food Pantry. Photo by Kathy Lahey
Island Heart is currently accepting monetary donations for volunteers to purchase food. They are also accepting food they usually do not receive through Long Island Cares, including tuna, cereal, oatmeal, rice and beans. All these can be dropped off to the Mount Sinai Congregational Church, located at 233 North Country Road in Mount Sinai. While they normally would accept any help in terms of volunteers, they currently wish to practice as much distancing as possible.
The Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry, which normally operates from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. five days a week, is only open Tuesday through Thursday this week, and is leaving bags of supplies at the rear entrance for people to pick up, according to its voicemail. It asks that only one person at a time goes into the location, completely eliminating contact. The pantry will continue to update its policies as time progresses.
Lighthouse Mission, a faith-based mobile food pantry, is also suffering from dwindling volunteers and donations.
“People are afraid,” Pastor Jim Ryan, president of the mission, said. “People are uncertain about their own future and are not thinking about donating. They are making an effort to practice social distancing by keeping people 8 feet away from each other at outreaches and are looking to pre-bag food to limit contact.”
Still, twice a day, Lighthouse Mission’s box trucks cart food, clothing and basic necessities for volunteers to set up in public parking lots, including in Port Jefferson Station and Rocky Point, and give to those in need. For those who choose to listen, a volunteer will give a gospel message and pray with the attendees who ask. The organization, which was started 28 years ago, serves 10 different locations throughout
Suffolk County.
Ryan, who was a 2012 Times Beacon Record Person of the Year, has now begun a program in which volunteers will deliver food to elderly residents at their homes.
“These are people who always come out,” Ryan said. “They may be in a wheelchair or holding an oxygen mask, but they are always there. Now they just can’t come out because they cannot get this virus.” The pastor added that volunteers will leave the items at the door to mitigate contact.
“We will keep operating as long as there’s food to give.”
— Jim Ryan
The mission, which is not publicly funded and runs solely on donations, is urgently in need of food, clothing and supplies. According to its website, it accepts nonperishable food items (canned goods, pasta, cereal, bottled water, etc.); meats (hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, turkeys, etc.); dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables. It does not take cooked meals.
Ryan said that paper items, especially plastic bags, would be helpful. Donations can be dropped off at Lighthouse Mission’s office at 1543 Montauk Highway in Bellport. Monetary donations would be appreciated, as the organization recently had a truck break down and is lacking the funds to fix it.
“I am confident God will send blessings our way,” Ryan said. “We will keep operating as long as there’s food to give.”
Those in need can attend Lighthouse Mission outreaches on Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at 499 Main St., Port Jefferson Station, in the commuter parking lot at the corner of Hallock Road and Route 112; on Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at 683 Route 25A in Rocky Point at the Knights of Columbus front parking lot; or on Fridays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at 2150 Middle Country Road, Centereach in the parking lot near Ocean State Job Lot, on the south side of Route 25.
Those that are elderly and would like food delivered to their homes, as well as people looking to volunteer to deliver the food, can call the office at 631-758-7584.
The elder law and estate planning firm Genser Cona recently participated in two initiatives to help combat hunger on Long Island, donating a total of $3,000 to Island Harvest, the largest hunger relief organization on Long Island. The firm conducted a series of in-house fundraisers and sent a team to the 18th annual Ellen Gordon CPA 4(a) Cause 5K Run/Walk to End Hunger at Eisenhower Park to benefit Island Harvest. A check was presented on July 16.
The dual effort was a part of the Melville firm’s ongoing commitment to community involvement and charitable giving.
“We’re fortunate to be in a position to give back to the community and we are proud to support Island Harvest in its mission,” said Jennifer Cona, managing partner of the firm. “Island Harvest makes a commitment to helping anyone in need on Long Island, including low income seniors and veterans through specialized programs such as Operation: HOPE and the Senior Mobile Food Pantry. ”
Pictured from left, firm Managing Partner Jennifer Cona, Chief Operating Officer Julie Wyetzner, Joan Flynn of Island Harvest and firm paralegal Christa Duerr.
Jorde Milback of Miller Place (L) was one of more than 20 volunteers helping Island Harvest in its attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest line of hunger relief packages. Photo from PSEG
A group of Miller Place residents and PSEG employees aimed at breaking a Guinness World Record for a good cause earlier this month.
Jorde Milback of Miller Place and a group of PSEG Long Island workers helped Island Harvest Food Bank in its attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest line of hunger-relief packages March 8.
Milback, alongside PSEG workers and a group from Island Harvest, placed 1,805 packages end-to-end on pallets throughout Island Harvest’s Hauppauge collection and distribution center. When all the packages were placed, they measured 1,164 feet in length.
“It feels great to help my neighbors in need by volunteering at Island Harvest,” said Jorde Milback, the distribution supervisor of substation maintenance at PSEG Long Island. “It was my pleasure to help Island Harvest attempt a Guinness world record and I thank PSEG Long Island for giving me and my coworkers opportunities like this to give back to our communities.”
To be eligible for the world record, individuals had to ensure the packages touched each other, and once placed, they could not be touched or picked up. The attempt had to be videotaped, and a judge was on hand to oversee the three-hour attempt. Next month, a representative from Guinness will announce whether the attempt successfully beat the existing record of 1,000 packs.
“I am so proud of our partnership with Island Harvest, and our employee volunteers who help this organization pack food in its warehouses throughout the year,” said Daniel Eichhorn, the president and COO of PSEG Long Island and Island Harvest board member. “We are hopeful that this attempt to break the record will be deemed a success. Either way, the people of Long Island win because of the vital services Island Harvest provides to Long Islanders every day.”
The food packages used in the attempt were distributed through Island Harvest Food Bank’s Kids Weekend Backpack Feeding Program, which provides supplemental food support for schoolchildren who rely on their school’s breakfast and lunch programs, but often don’t have enough to eat over the weekend.
“Thanks to our friends at PSEG Long Island, we not only likely broke a world record, but we were able to highlight the issue of childhood hunger on Long Island,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank in a press release. “Nassau and Suffolk counties are home to some of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country, and there is simply no reason for any child here on Long Island, or across the U.S., to be without something as basic as food.”
During the 2017-18 school year, Island Harvest’s Kids Weekend Backpack Feeding Program distributed 64,000 food packs, supplementing 256,000 meals, to 1,800 kids in 29 schools across 12 school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Isabella Gordon, 15, organizes the nearly 300 pounds of hygiene products she collected for donation. Photo from Ali Gordon
Inspired by a leadership camp she attended over the summer, Comsewogue High School sophomore Isabella Gordon identified a problem in her community and took it upon herself to fix it. Before she knew it, her bedroom was piled high with feminine hygiene products set for donation.
Isabella, 15, said she had been interested in attending the Eleanor Roosevelt Girls Leadership Worldwide camp, a program offered by the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill in Hyde Park New York aimed at helping attendees gain confidence, develop a voice and unlock one’s leadership potential, ever since her older sister attended more than a decade ago. She went this past summer and met young women from around the world, and upon returning home, she was struck with an idea.
The teenager said she came across a video on YouTube that detailed the difficulty homeless women on their menstrual cycle have in obtaining hygiene products and wasted little time springing to action.
“I was interested and talked to my mom that night and was like, ‘Hey, I want to work on this,’” she said following a Comsewogue board of education meeting Nov. 5, where her mom Ali Gordon has served on the board for three terms. “So for the next week or so me and my sister were kind of just thinking up names for it and we ended up with ‘Hygiene for All,’ came up with a mission statement, because I felt so passionate about it.”
Isabella said she set up a Facebook page for her newly formed initiative and asked people to donate products for her cause by sending them to her home. Eventually her bedroom was piled with items in bins waiting to be distributed to those who needed them. Mineola-based nonprofit food bank Island Harvest organized a “stuff-a-bus” event Oct. 6 at Comsewogue’s homecoming football game, during which attendees of the game were encouraged to bring food items to be donated to those in need. Isabella and Hygiene for All provided the food bank with more than 100 boxes of feminine hygiene products, dozens of toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, and deodorants. In all the haul amassed nearly 300 pounds, according to Gordon.
“It was incredibly inspiring to have my 15-year-old come up with the idea,” the BOE member said. “Inspiring and very exciting. She didn’t need much assistance at all. She had a vision for this and really wanted to be able to help people and she’s done that and plans to continue to do that.”
Isabella said she hopes to one day turn the project into a charitable venture and is already interested in expanding it to more communities and school districts. She said she hopes to pursue a degree in medicine, at this point with her eye on one day becoming a midwife. Feminine hygiene products are among the most requested items for all food pantries, as many homeless and disadvantaged women are forced to choose between spending money on items like these and food, according to Food Bank for New York City, which holds an annual campaign calling for products for women.
“I feel very proud, especially of my community, so I’d say it went pretty well,” Isabella said.
To donate visit Hygiene for All’s Facebook page and send a private message to get the address.
