Friday, March 28, 2025
The Oceanside Library was filled with energy last Sunday, as it hosted its third annual Volunteer Fair — the first at the newly renovated facility — drawing hundreds of people from Oceanside and beyond who were eager to connect with local organizations and find meaningful ways to give back. The event featured a diverse lineup of nonprofits from Oceanside and across Long Island, offering opportunities for people of all ages and interests.
Representatives from organizations including the American Red Cross, Citizens Climate Lobby, Lend-a-Paw and the Book Fairies welcomed the attendees, sharing their missions and telling them about the various ways in which volunteers can make a difference.
“We’re always looking, as an organization, for financial donations, book donations, for volunteers to donate their time,” said Mary Blanco, of the Book Fairies, a nonprofit in Freeport that is dedicated to distributing books to underserved communities. The organization, which has been in existence for 13 years, has distributed over 5 million books, ranging from children’s literature to adult novels.
“It’s a nice place to volunteer — a nice community of people who are very friendly and from all backgrounds,” Annette Ready, a recently retired teacher who started volunteering with the Book Fairies last year, said.
Other participating organizations included Girls on the Run Long Island, the Kiwanis Club of Oceanside, the Oceanside SAFE Coalition, Eager to Serve and the League of Women Voters. Whether through environmental advocacy, educational support or health services, each group demonstrated the many ways in which area residents can make a positive impact. The fair also catered to students fulfilling community service requirements for programs like the National Junior Honor Society.
“We’re lucky that the community supports our program, community service and volunteer opportunities,” library Director Chris Marra said. “As different milestones come up throughout the year, they need community service hours, so we provide opportunities year-round for them as well.”
The Volunteer Fair not only showcased the variety of ways that people can give back, but also celebrated the shared commitment to community growth and support in Oceanside and beyond. The Rockville Centre Lions Club, represented by Bill Manteria and Jeff Chesner, took part even though Oceanside doesn’t have its own Lions chapter.
“We draw some of our members from around the Oceanside area,” Manteria said. The club, which has 85 members, and organizes several community events, like the Restaurant Crawl on May 7, in which participants will be able to sample dishes from a dozen or more local restaurants. The club also has a food drive scheduled for April 5 at the Oceanside Stop & Shop.
Jules Yanatos, an Oceanside high school sophomore, shared her experience with Oceanside SAFE — Substance Abuse Free Environment — an organization focused on community health and safety. “I like it a lot,” Yanatos said. “I feel like it’s such a good cause we’re advocating for.”
The coalition’s mission is to help prevent and reduce alcohol and drug use among young people by expanding prevention education, hosting workshops and resource fairs.
“I know a lot of kids at my school who have, like, fallen into stuff like that, and I’ve had family members, in the past, deal with it,” Yanatos said. “Knowing that you could have changed someone’s life if you helped put a stop to it earlier can be sad.”
The event also featured informative presentations, as Assistant Library Director Tony Iovino discussed how nonprofits can use the facility’s resources and software to reach bigger audiences. Local officials also stopped by.
“Oceanside is such a wonderful community, and they have so many organizations that do volunteer work,” Town Councilwoman Laura Ryder said. “I got to go to a lot of the community events, and you see a lot of the same people, and there’s a phenomenal core group of people that have just devoted themselves to serving their community and bettering the lives of everyone around them.”
