By Serena Carpino
For the past few years, Stony Brook resident Rena Sylvester has helped veterans throughout Suffolk County through her organization Cooking For Long Island Veterans.
Recently, CFLIV has expanded the number of events it offers to raise funds to cover expenses and possible future expansion. One of those events was held Oct. 9, as more than 50 runners and walkers took part in a 5K at Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown.
Though it began as a school club, CFLIV is now a nonprofit food pantry dedicated to helping homebound veterans on Long Island. Every week veterans receive three breakfasts, three lunches, three dinners and lots of snacks. The meals are provided by restaurants and volunteers who cook in certified kitchens.
One of the volunteers is Karen Fazio, president of the Setauket Fire Department Auxiliary. She said she is always looking for the auxiliary to do something for the community. She saw CFLIV on Facebook and mentioned it to the auxiliary members, a couple of whom decided to volunteer with her.
Fazio said during her time volunteering she has done a bit of everything from cooking, packing up meals and delivering them to the veterans.
“It’s very rewarding no matter which job you do,” she said.
The volunteer said when she drops off meals sometimes she’ll have time to stay and talk a while with the veterans. She said some don’t have families so the work the nonprofit does is an important one.
Sylvester, a retired home economics teacher who comes from a military family, said she started CFLIV “by accident.” During her career at East Islip school district, she created a club that mailed care packages to deployed members of the military. Sylvester and her students sent packages to many local soldiers, including those belonging to the 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton and the 1st Marine Corps District in Garden City. In the beginning, they would prepare very simple meals. However, in later years the club started receiving food from restaurants, including the Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket. This allowed Sylvester to prepare more inviting meals.
In February of 2019, the organization began to expand.
“I was going on vacation, and there was a Korean War veteran that was complaining about the meals he was getting [from another organization],” Sylvester said. “So, I brought him a couple of meals.”
Soon, the pandemic hit and many people were concerned about food provision for veterans. At the time, “I had just stopped working at a homeless shelter for veterans, so I knew veterans in need. So, it kind of blossomed out of that,” she said.
Currently, CFLIV feeds 45 veterans around Long Island. Veterans in need have been recommended to the nonprofit by social workers from the VA.
Along with the increased numbers of veterans served, CFLIV receives help from local restaurants, such as Bliss, Elegant Eating and Panico’s Community Market. In addition, the VFW posts in Rocky Point, Lake Ronkonkoma and Patchogue allow volunteers to use their kitchens.
In addition to the recent 5K run, the nonprofit has organized other fundraisers to raise much-needed money. Earlier this year, CFLIV held a bourbon night, which Sylvester described as “a smashing success.”
A car show was held in October, also a cigar night with a raw seafood bar. In November to date, there has been a murder mystery dinner, while the organization has also participated in the 247th Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
It is still difficult to raise enough money to cover expenses. “We pay a cleaning woman, we pay two insurance policies, we have to buy certain things, we have utilities … it’s mostly donations,” Sylvester said.
To help pay bills, CFLIV asks veterans above a certain income level to pay a weekly donation of $10 to $20. In comparison, Sylvester explained, other organizations charge a few dollars per day. However, veterans sometimes find it difficult to pay. The nonprofit will still provide meals to them.
Other problems include lack of driver volunteers, breakfast foods and containers. Sylvester said they are always looking for help, whether it’s buying supplies, picking up food or delivering to veterans.
In spite of these challenges, Sylvester is continuing to hold events and increase volunteer involvement in CFLIV.
“One of the reasons we’re having the fundraisers is because we are going to be working with either the town [Brookhaven] or county officials,” she said. To increase operations, “we’re interested in getting an abandoned building, but nobody’s going to give us a pristine abandoned building.”
Sylvester’s goal is to raise $100,000 before they begin to look for a building.
“We’re going to need staff, we’re going to need insurance, we’re going to have some serious bills,” she said.
So far, all the work by CFLIV volunteers has paid off, and the organization has received help from other food donation organizations on Long Island. Recently, CFLIV became a member of Feeding America and food rescue program Island Harvest.
CFLIV is also a food rescue program. “As much as feeding veterans is important, rescue food is a very, very close second,” Sylvester said. “I love when volunteers take food. I love when we can give stuff to the VFW. Sometimes I do go to the Marine Corps League, and when I do I bring them all this stuff and they go home with a loaf of bread and they love it.”
For more information, visit the website cooking4livets.com.
Additional reporting by Rita J. Egan.
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