Food for a Freeport holiday
Long Island Cares partners with Stop & Shop
On April 13, Long Island Cares partnered with Stop & Shop for a holiday food distribution in Freeport. The event was a joint effort between Long Island Cares and Stop & Shop to provide Easter and Passover meals to families who are regulars at Long Island Cares pantries.
The two families who came to the event had been randomly selected by Long Island Cares to receive meat, vegetables, fruit, bread, eggs and other groceries, a variety of household items, and Easter baskets. An additional 18 families received $100 gift cards from Stop & Shop, which they later picked up in Freeport.
The distribution took place at the Long Island Cares pantry at 21 E. Sunrise Highway in Freeport, which is called the Nassau Center for Collaborative Assistance. Long Island Cares and Stop & Shop have partnered for 20 years to help feed the food-insecure populations in Nassau and Suffolk counties. This particular event focused on struggling families who are regular clients at Long Island Cares' six locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
While the Stop & Shop food distribution was a special event for the Easter and Passover holidays, the Freeport location provides food to Nassau County residents all year long and holidays. It is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and on 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clients come for food once a month, and there is a special program for veterans, who can come for food every Tuesday. Long Island Cares has six such locations, including a pet pantry.
Some of Long Island Cares’ other partners are Amazon, BJ’s, Costco, King Kullen, Walmart, Shoprite, Target, and Wild by Nature.
Events like the April 13 distribution bring joy not only to the recipients, but to the Long Island Cares teams and partners.
Christine Spencer, a Freeport resident whose family was one of the two randomly selected for the event, said, "When they called me, I was in tears. I've never won anything in my life."
"We're so grateful,” said Chriss Zenkewrich, a Long Island Cares client and Lawrence resident who was also selected. “This is a real blessing."
Stefanie Shuman, External Communications Manager for Stop & Shop, said, "Stop & Shop stores in Nassau County wanted to make Easter and Passover more special for families who are struggling with the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 16 Stop & Shop stores in Nassau County adopted families through our long-time food bank partners at Long Island Cares. Stop & Shop provided either Passover or Easter dinner for those families. We are committed to eradicating hunger and serving our customers both inside the store and out. We are thankful for partners like Long Island Cares who do this on a day-in and day-out basis, and we are proud to support them."
"Stop & Shop is a wonderful corporate partner,” said Paule Pachter, Long Island Cares CEO. “They understand the problems of hunger and food insecurity, and they do something about it."
