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Serena Carpino

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The Three Village Dads Foundation organize efforts to restore the Merritt-Hawkins House in Setauket. Photo courtesy David Tracy

By Serena Carpino

Three Village Dads Foundation recently finished refurbishing the outside area of the Merritt-Hawkins House in East Setauket. The renovations of the 9-acre property cost about $40,000.

The house, located on Pond Path, was leased to the Three Village Dads in 2021, after Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) approached the organization about a partnership. In July 2022, Three Village Dads began fixing up the house and after two years of work, the outdoor renovations were complete. 

After Kornreich was first elected, he began to identify properties owned by the town that needed to be fixed up and looked for stewards to repair these areas. Kornreich said that he chose the Three Village Dads organization for this project because he “figured these guys are going to put on their New Balance sneakers, go out there, and cut vines and be dads in the backyard of this place and clean it up.” Kornreich continued, “It was a good match because there’s a lot of volunteers who like to do this kind of hands-on project.” 

The first step of the restoration was to clean up the trails that led to the vernal pond at the back of the property. Volunteers cleared brushes, put down wood chips and built a parking lot increasing the accessibility for members of the community. In addition, they placed signs around the property that identify different plants and other unique factors of the house. 

Although much of the work was done by volunteers, Three Village Dads also enlisted the help of outside companies. David Tracy, president of the organization explained that they “used [about 30] volunteers from the group for the first year. However, there was a lot of heavy lifting and work to be done, so we hired a few companies to help with the remaining work.” 

The foundation hired Clovis Outdoor Services, a Stony Brook tree company to remove old or rotted trees. In addition, JM Troffa Hardscape, a masonry and building supply company from East Setauket, provided Three Village Dads with the materials for the parking lot. Furthermore, Sheep Pasture Landscaping of Port Jefferson Station helped finish remodeling the trails. Tracy added that they “had a Boy Scout complete his Eagle Scout project on the property by installing our educational signs and building benches.”

The house is near to Nassakeag Elementary School, and Tracy and Kornreich hope that students and teachers will be able to take advantage of the trails through nature walks. There are over 15 educational signs meant for student use. 

“The house is connected to Nassakeag and we’re going to put a gate in between the two, so students from other parts of the district can take a bus and go on guided nature walks and educational walks. So, it’s good for students and it’s good for people that want to just get out into nature,” Kornreich said.

Tracy confirmed there will be public access to the property. 

Having completed the outdoor renovations, Three Village Dads hope to finish work on the inside of the house within the next two to three years. Tracy said that their goal is “to transform it into something similar to the historical society building, with a small museum.”

Kornreich will spearhead a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the house May 1 to commemorate the finished work around the outside. “The reality is that these guys do so many things to support the community and they never really do it for the publicity or the recognition, so I think it’s a really good opportunity to highlight the good work they did and thank them for all their hard work,” the councilmember said.

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Emma S. Clark Memorial Library

By Serena Carpino

Recently, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket has made many changes. From their new café to their outdoor patio, the library has undergone several renovations in the past few years. Combined with the creation of new programs, these additions reflect efforts to incorporate modern technology into Emma Clark. 

The library originally decided to add the outdoor patio space after the pandemic. The patio, which is fully wheelchair accessible, has added 800 square feet for patrons to sit and enjoy reading books in nice weather. The architect in charge was John Cunniffe, a Stony Brook resident who has done many projects for the Three Village Historical Society, Frank Melville Memorial Park, The Long Island Museums, and various other local organizations.

In addition to the outdoor patio, the library also installed a new café, which is run by Level Up Kitchen. The kitchen is owned and operated by Chelsea Gomez, a local chef. In her cooking, Gomez prioritizes sustainability, using high quality ingredients, and working with Long Island farmers. 

According to Lisa DeVerna, a spokesperson from Emma Clark, the café has been successful so far. “We’ve been very pleased with how the café is going so far. We’ve seen people of all ages, from senior citizens to teens, utilizing the café, an extended service of the library.”

Other changes include adding a Main Reading Room, where the café is located. This section is now separated by glass doors to allow more social activities in the front, while the back is reserved for reading and quiet activities. 

The library is also planning on adding an environmentally friendly HVAC unit in the near future. It will be energy efficient and not use fossil fuels.

Aside from construction, Emma Clark has also continued to add new programs and projects for visitors. This March, the library is offering Seed Library and Seed Swap Box to celebrate the first day of spring. This addition goes along with the gardening classes, which have been very popular both in-person and online. 

The library is also working to expand programming opportunities for teens. “Since the establishment of Teen Services as a new and separate department just last year, programming has more than doubled,” DeVerna said. “We hope to continue to grow this department.” 

To do this, the library plans on providing more programming opportunities both in and outside of the library. For example, they have been offering more technology classes, including a course on advanced Excel, the first non-beginner course at Emma Clark. Also, they have placed a greater emphasis on the Cricut machine. While it may seem that most of the improvements have been for teens and adults, the children’s library is continuing to see changes as well. “In our Children’s Library, we have added new imaginative play toys, and looking ahead, we’re hoping to continue rearranging the flow and usage of that area to make it a more welcoming space,” DeVerna explained.

The recent years have seen many technological updates for Emma Clark. While some may worry that such additions can distort the original intent of a library, DeVerna clarified the benefits of these changes. “As the world has evolved, libraries have evolved with it.” She explained that the library offers printed, eBooks, and audiobooks in order to cater to all of their patrons’ needs. In addition, they supply both movies and music and have databases for people to “learn anything from history to finance to genealogy to how to fix your car.”

“We recognize that technology now plays a large part in obtaining information, so we help people learn how to use their computers and mobile devices through computer classes, tech clinics [where adults learn from teen volunteers], and even one-on-one appointments with a tech-savvy librarian,” DeVerna said. “We have classes and events for all ages. The library connects people and is a community and information center, both in our building and beyond its walls.”

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Signs displayed along the roadside on 25A in Setauket. Photo by Samantha Rutt

By Serena Carpino

Recent debates about road signage removal along Route 25A have sparked controversies between small business owners and local politicians. Specifically, town officials have reached out to store owners in Old School House Square in East Setauket, requesting that road signs be removed. Some owners have taken down their signs, but others disagree, saying that it is unnecessary. 

Signs displayed along the roadside on 25A in Setauket. Photo by Samantha Rutt

“My sign has been there for 13 years, there’s never been a problem,” one local business owner explained. “When I had the sign first installed, I was very cognizant of the history, nature and culture of our community. The sign is a wooden sign that absolutely conforms to the aesthetics of the Three Village community, it is a small, classy-looking sign that should offend no one.”

According to the owner, many businesses have struggled since the pandemic, and street signs are a crucial part of attracting customers.

“Business is difficult these days for small retailers like me,” he said. “Artificially inflated inventory costs, competition from Amazon, increased utility costs are just a few of the hardships that small business people must endure.” 

He added, “A street sign is an essential part of any business. It attracts new business, it reminds customers that you are there and it acts as a beacon, letting the world know who you are and what you do. It is essential to the success of my small business.”

Town councilmember addresses the issue

Signs displayed along the roadside on 25A in Setauket. Photo by Samantha Rutt

At the latest Three Village Civic Association meeting Feb. 5, Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) addressed the issue. “I hate driving through Main Street, like around Mario’s, that area [Old School House Square],” he said. “You know, there is no greater negative impact on — as far as the creation of visual blight and the way a neighborhood looks — than signage.”

He explained that when he tried to confront the issue, he discovered many exceptions to the town code, causing it to be virtually unenforceable. To combat the problem, Kornreich said the town is hiring an outside counsel to create a new sign code. 

Kornreich also admitted that some business owners would be upset with this decision. “I’ve already started getting letters from some of them,” he said. “I’m going to pay a price for that, but you’ve got to get the signs under control.”

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Sunrise Wind. Photo courtesy Sunrise Wind

By Serena Carpino

Several Suffolk County elected officials have gathered in support for Sunrise Wind, an offshore wind project dedicated to using clean energy to power thousands of Long Island homes. 

Sunrise Wind is operated under a 50/50 partnership between Ørsted, a Danish international climate action leader, and Eversource, a national leader in clean energy. The project has been ongoing since 2019 and organizers aim to have it completed by 2026, with the farm generating about 924 megawatts and supplying energy to nearly 600,000 homes across the Island. 

Sunrise Wind is located approximately 30 miles east of Montauk. Developers plan to run cables through Smith Point Beach that will connect to Long Island’s electricity grid in Holbrook. Officials intend to use the wind farm to provide Island residents with 70% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2040. Eventually, they hope to make Sunrise Wind a national energy hub. 

The project has received bipartisan support across the county, with members of both parties agreeing to look toward a more renewable future. Officials supporting Sunrise Wind include County Executive Ed Romaine (R), state Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R-Medford), Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R), and other business and labor leaders. 

“Here, this is not a Democrat or Republican issue,” Romaine explained. “Our focus is local and since we all live here, we want to solve the problems together to get this done. When I look at the future, I realize we’re going to need more energy than ever: Why not renewable?”

Other officials have commented how the project is already helping parts of Long Island with its $700 million investment in jobs, assets, and partnerships across Suffolk County. 

“In the Mastic-Shirley community, Patriots Preserve, we got our first million dollars from this agreement,” Panico said. “We used that money in the creation of a beautiful pristine park in the tri-hamlet community, one of the most densely populated communities that is underserved.”

Furthermore, Sunrise Wind has brought many job opportunities to Long Island residents. According to Meaghan Wims, a spokesperson for Sunrise Wind, the project will “deliver major economic benefits and local jobs to New York … while accelerating the state’s growing offshore wind workforce and supply chain.”

Many officials agree that Sunrise Wind will bring many benefits to Long Island. However, they have also addressed potential concerns about the effect on marine life and fisheries. 

“Climate change is an existential threat to the biodiversity of the natural world, and one of the best ways to protect that biodiversity is the development of clean energy,” Wims explained. That being said, Sunrise Wind takes “great care to ensure that offshore wind and wildlife coexist and thrive. We’ve taken a number of steps to ensure this coexistence, often by being directly responsive to requests from the fishing community.”

For example, officials at Sunrise Wind decided the boundaries of the wind farm after considering feedback from parties that could be affected. In addition, “we’ve set the industry standard by agreeing to uniform 1 x 1 nautical mile spacing across and gridded layout of our lease areas,” Wims said. “This is the widest spacing of any offshore wind farm in the world.” Because of this type of spacing, marine transit and fishery activity can continue to occur. 

In addition to Sunrise Wind, Ørsted and Eversource also have South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind in the works. South Fork Wind is estimated to provide 132 MW of energy to New York and is projected to become the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in United States waters. 

Revolution Wind will supply Rhode Island and Connecticut with 704 MW of power and offshore construction is set to begin in several months.

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Skyler Johnson (left) and Rebecca Kassay (far right) at the Three Village Democratic Club meet the candidates event. Photo courtesy Serena Carpino

By Serena Carpino

Three Village Democratic Club held a meet-the-candidates night at the Setauket Neighborhood House Jan. 11. The two candidates, Skyler Johnson (D-Port Jefferson Station) and Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson), hope to represent New York State Assembly District 4, a seat currently occupied by Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson). At the campaign event, Johnson and Kassay discussed pressing issues facing Long Island. 

Johnson, 23, has served in multiple leadership roles. He is on the board of the directors of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the chair of the Suffolk County Young Democrats. He is also on the board of Temple Beth Emeth of Mount Sinai, the synagogue in which he was raised and is currently working for the Sound Justice Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to educating incarcerated individuals. 

Johnson has spent much of his political career in Albany and helped pass the Fair Access to Victim Compensation Act. He has been endorsed by former Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant as well as several members of the New York State Assembly and Suffolk County Legislature.

Johnson’s opponent, Rebecca Kassay, possesses both political and entrepreneurship experience. The 34-year-old is currently deputy mayor in the Village of Port Jefferson and a village trustee. Kassay is also a member of the Port Jefferson Rotary Club and owns with her husband The Fox and Owl Inn, a bed-and-breakfast in Port Jefferson. 

In 2013, Kassay was involved in creating a teen environmental program at Avalon Nature Preserve, as she hoped to “​​get them off their phones, get their hands dirty and build their confidence about [being] the future environmental stewards of this area.” During the COVID-19 pandemic Kassay contacted local community members who had been handmaking masks helping them to create a legitimate organization. With Kassay’s intervention, the group was able to donate over 40,000 homemade masks. 

The candidates discussed many issues, but two topics dominated the night: affordable housing and the climate crisis. 

When asked about the biggest issue currently facing New York state, both Johnson and Kassay agreed that it is the high cost of living. “We have a crisis on housing on our hands – of affordable housing,” Johnson said. He further explained that, for him, affordable housing is defined as that which is accessible to families who make between 60% and 120% of the area median income. Here, that would equate to an apartment rent of $1,700 per month. “I checked [how many apartments would be available] — about three. And I’m sure one of them is an illegal basement apartment,” he joked. 

The candidates also talked about recent environmental problems on Long Island. They addressed the latest extreme weather events including the severe rainstorms and flooding. 

Kassay reassured the audience that she wanted, “in no uncertain terms, for voters to know that the Democratic Party is the party that’s going to lead the way to make an economically and environmentally sustainable Long Island.”

The candidates were then asked about New York’s immigration crisis. 

Both Johnson and Kassay pointed out that immigrants are an important part of this country and pay a significant amount of taxes. They agreed that they would both like to see comprehensive immigration reform and a change in the attitude of how America views immigrants. 

Johnson further said, “Those who say that immigrants are not welcome are almost never on the right side of history,” and explained that much of the negative commentary about immigrants is “a fake narrative to throw immigrants under the bus.”

Finally, the candidates called out Flood’s voting record and criticized his stance on certain legislation. 

Flood’s consistent support for anti-vaccination movements is most embarrassing to Kassay. She disagrees with Flood’s position, especially given the presence of Stony Brook University in the district. She explained, “As an assemblywoman here I would be looking to the university for help instead of embarrassing them and embarrassing the entire district by going forth with anti-vax legislation and having that be a mark on the community.”

Johnson agreed and said that Flood has “taken some really egregious stances in his short tenure in Albany.” In particular, he pointed out Flood’s opposition to abortion care, LGBTQ+ rights and other bills “simply because Democrats proposed [them].”

He encouraged the audience to go on votesmart.org and further look into Flood’s voting records. 

 In their closing remarks, the candidates left the stage with powerful statements. 

“We really can’t afford to lose this race. Our community has been suffering under the leadership or lack thereof of Ed Flood.” Kassay said. “This campaign is about reconnecting people to the government that was built to serve and protect them — it’s about Long Island’s overwhelming cost of living and the climate crisis. It’s about defending women’s choice regarding their own bodies and then going up to that legislative body and doing a little more to make it more representative of our population.”

In his closing remarks, Johnson said, “I announced that I was running on Nov. 18. On Nov. 19, Jesse Garcia, the chair of the Suffolk GOP, had a quote in the paper attacking me.” He further explained that other Republicans attacked him on Twitter, and GOP members across the state liked those tweets. “So,” he said, “if you are not sure who will beat Ed Flood, just remember: The Republicans are worried about what would happen should I become the nominee.”

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Festival attendees enjoy craft vendor booths during the Silent Night Foundation’s second annual Labor Day Festival at the Superior Ice Rink in Kings Park on Saturday, Sept. 2. Photo by Serena Carpino

By Serena Carpino

The Silent Night Foundation held its second annual Labor Day Festival at the Superior Ice Rink in Kings Park on Saturday, Sept. 2, with 100% of the profits from the event supporting the charity.

Formed in 2014, the Silent Night Foundation sponsors sick children during the holidays. Joe Ondrush, the nonprofit’s founder, said he started the charity after successfully raising $70,000 to cover hospital bills for his cousin’s daughter, who was born with a rare heart condition. 

According to Ondrush, “The event was such a huge success, a lot of people were like, ‘You should do this,’” so he started the foundation “because I wanted to help my cousin and his daughter and from there,” adding, “It just kind of snowballed into now being this.”

The foundation was largely unknown during its early years, and Ondrush did not know many families to whom to donate money. He partnered with the Stony Brook Pediatric Oncology Unit, which put him in contact with families with sick children. 

Although the foundation continues to work with the unit today, we’ve “been around long enough where people know who we are; so come November and December, my phone rings off the hook asking me to help with families and their kids,” Ondrush explained. 

The Silent Night Foundation holds several events yearly, including hockey tournaments such as the Silent Night Winter Classic. Once a year, it hosts Jingle Balls, a fully catered event with live music held in Smithtown. These events typically raise $50,000-$100,000 annually, all of which goes to families with sick children.

The Labor Day Festival usually brings in about $5,000-$10,000, but it holds sentimental value for other reasons. The owner of the rink, Rich McGuigan, and Ondrush have been close friends for many years. 

Michelle McGuigan, Rich’s wife, said the rink specifically chose to partner with Silent Night due to their friendship and the charity’s cause. 

“I’ve been such good friends with the [Ondrush family] … and I love their goal to raise as much money as they can to help as many families as they can on Christmas,” Michelle McGuigan said. “What better gift on Christmas – it’s about giving.”

Ondrush loves hockey and views the Labor Day Festival as a way to combine this interest with his charity. “I’m a hockey guy with a hockey background, so this was a great opportunity to combine my foundation and hockey,” he said.

Saturday’s event was bustling with people enjoying listening to the DJ, jumping in the bounce house and eating from the food trucks. But organizers aim to bring even more people together in the coming years. 

“Most of [the people in attendance] are from our rink and hockey people, and, of course, it’s exciting that they come and wonderful,” Michelle McGuigan said. “But, I’d love to try to rally more residents of Smithtown and rally more residents of Kings Park.”

The foundation is always happy to receive any help. “You can go to www.silentnightfoundation.org — mail a check or you can use your credit card right on our website,” Ondrush added. 

However, those who cannot donate money can provide a service or volunteer at an event. 

Even “spreading the word and coming to events like this and sharing our social media posts just helps the foundation,” Ondrush explained. “Share our Facebook and Instagram posts and help spread the word.”

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Pet-A-Palooza attendee Kimberly Mockler holds shelter dog Rain. Photo by Serena Carpino
Daphne the cat. Photo by Serena Carpino
Heather Baron holds shelter dog Butterbee during the Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center’s Pet-A-Palooza event. Photos by Serena Carpino
Cats in The Cattery. Photo by Serena Carpino
A sign at Little Shelter. Photo by Serena Carpino

By Serena Carpino

For the first time since 2019, the Huntington-based Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center held its Pet-A-Palooza event on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19 and 20.

This fundraising and adoption event promotes the nonprofit organization, whose staff members and volunteers rescue and find homes for cats and dogs. The shelter was created in 1927 as the first humane animal shelter on Long Island and recently celebrated its 96th anniversary. 

One of Little Shelter’s goals is to reduce euthanasia rates. As a private, nonprofit and no-kill shelter, Little Shelter can rescue animals from government-owned facilities that may be forced to euthanize their animals. The shelter receives animals from around the country. “I’m sure we’re gonna get some [animals] from Hawaii,” because of the recent wildfires, said shelter volunteer Terry Warwick. 

Another aspect of its mission is to end overpopulation through its 100% spay/neuter program. A veterinarian on staff at Little Shelter can perform this procedure, and the shelter is also partnered with several veterinary clinics on Long Island to assist with the program. 

By holding several events throughout the year, staff and volunteers of the shelter can showcase the animals for those interested in adopting. In particular, the Pet-A-Palooza has been successful in guaranteeing adoptions. 

By Saturday morning, there were already eight dogs on hold for adoption and “usually by the end of the weekend, [we hope] to get 75 animals” adopted, said David Ceely, the executive director of Little Shelter. 

Pet-A -Palooza is not only an opportunity for many animals to be adopted. It gives people insight into the shelter’s operations. According to Ceely, “a lot of adopters that come in here and people that come in for our raffles … their word of mouth is extremely helpful because they’ll come in and say, ‘Oh look at this wonderful dog or this wonderful cat that I adopted’” and “it really helps … to get the word out about Little Shelter.”

If a dog is not adoptable for various reasons, it can be sent to the Little Shelter Sanctuary in upstate New York. “What separates us from the other shelters … is that we’ve got our sanctuary upstate, which has homelike settings,” Ceely noted. “All of the dogs have their own rooms.”

At the 110-acre sanctuary, all of the dogs also have their own televisions, couches and more. 

Little Shelter has also partnered with several groups that focus on specific types of animals. One such organization is Parker’s House, whose employees and volunteers raise awareness about the dangers of merle-to-merle breeding.

“Merle is a coat color,” Kimberly Mockley, an employee at Parker’s House, explained. There’s “blue merle, which has the gray, white and black mix. There’s also red merle, which is like copper and tan mixing,” adding that when “you breed a male and a female merle-to-merle, 25% [of their offspring] are born mostly white, deaf and blind.”

Parker’s House has held adoption events, but is currently focused on educating the public. 

Representatives from the Town of Huntington Cat Shelter, operated by Little Shelter, were also at the event to showcase many of their cats up for adoption. They are currently caring for around 300 cats. As of Saturday morning, there were already two cats up for adoption, and staff members hoped to have many more adopted by the end of the weekend.

While much of the money from the Pet-A-Palooza will go to supplies for the animals, some of it will also go toward remodeling the shelter’s buildings.

“We’re planning to do a big renovation within the next few years, and we just started to mount a capital campaign,” Ceely said. “This facility will be completely torn down and rebuilt.”

The shelter has been working out of the same buildings since 1927, and staff members want to make it more environmentally and functionally friendly. “We’ve got big plans,” Ceely said.

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Three Village fourth-grade student Mia Goldin used what she learned during the district’s Summer Enrichment Program to prepare French toast for Cooking for Long Island Veterans. Photo from Three Village Central School District

By Serena Carpino

[email protected]

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.

At a recent 5K event at Blydenburgh County Park, runners came out to raise funds for Cooking for Long Island Veterans. Photo by Rita J. Egan

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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