Cedarhurst and Lawrence-based nonprofits each receive a $30,000 grant

Cedarhurst-based anti-poverty think tank Rock and Wrap It Up! founded by Syd Mandelbaum and Gammy's Pantry, a free food pantry run out of the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence  by Inwood resident Sasha Young each received a $30,000 grant attained by State Sen. Todd Kaminky, a Democrat who represents the Five Towns.

"We hope to be able to purchase freezers and refrigeration, and of course nutritious food that will be given to families most in need in our area," Young said.

Rock and Wrap It Up! is a nonprofit founded by Mandelbaum, a Cedarhurst resident, in 1994. The organization seeks to fight poverty and hunger across the country by donating food and other items to those in need. 

Mandelbaum said the grant will help expand its service area by hiring additional personnel and purchasing new equipment. “Thank you to Senator Kaminsky for helping secure this grant,” Mandelbaum stated in a news release. “With this funding we’ll be able to expand our reach and help more families struggling with food insecurity.”

The Community Center's Executive Director K. Brent Hill appreciated the financial support that will aid community members in need. 

“The Five Towns Community Center is thankful to have the support of Senator Kaminsky as we partner with local governments, our neighbors and other social service agencies to assist those in need, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Hill said in the same release. “This grant will allow us to help people from a diverse spectrum dealing with food insecurity.”

The community center, through Gammy's Pantry, also currently serves as a Long Island Cares donation site. Funded by a portion of $2 million that the Town of Hempstead has allotted from a $133 million federal aid package for 14 food banks across the town to help ensure that residents in need have food  during the pandemic.

Kaminsky helped attain the grants through the County's Office of Community Development. He said that he hopes the grant will help address the growing issue of food insecurity in the Five Towns.

“No one in our community should be worrying about where their next meal is coming from, especially during a health crisis,” he stated in the release. “I’m happy to have secured these critical funds for Rock and Wrap it Up! and the Five Towns Community Center so they can expand their food distribution programs and help put an end to hunger in the Five Towns.”