NASSAU COUNTY, NY - Nassau County Executive Laura Curran today announced a new partnership with Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank to establish an emergency food distribution center in the City of Long Beach. The site, located at the Magnolia Senior Center (650 Magnolia Avenue in City of Long Beach), will operate one day per week for 6 months beginning on Monday June 15th.
Nassau County is contracting Long Island Cares to establish the Long Beach pop-up site, utilizing $106,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. The County has set aside $1M in funding to assist food banks with the purchase and distribution of food supplies to needy families. The County is working with Long Island Cares to open additional locations.
“My Administration is committed to addressing the unprecedented surge in food insecurity on Long Island. No one in Nassau should have to worry about putting food on the table for their family. I thank Long Island Cares for their important work, and I look forward to working together to open additional locations across the County,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
“We are very grateful to County Executive Curran for her continued support of Long Island Cares -The Harry Chapin Food Bank. The opportunity to establish an emergency food distribution center in the City of Long Beach will enable us to assist a growing number of people in need over the next six-months as our region returns to some sense of normalcy. Sadly, unemployment which is driving the staggering increase in demand for food assistance is going to be part of our new normal, and with the support of Nassau County, we will be able to respond to the increase in demand,” said Paule Pachter, CEO of Long Island Cares, Inc. - The Harry Chapin Food Bank.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, and resulting economic consequences, has hit our communities hard. Too many of our neighbors are worried about where their next meal will come from. Establishing an emergency food center in the heart of Long Beach will provide ongoing and much-needed nourishment to families and I thank County Executive Curran and Long Island Cares for their commitment to making sure that no Long Islander goes hungry,” said State Senator Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach)
Today’s announcement comes in addition to Nassau County’s recent partnership with Island Harvest, which has now put food on the table for over 10,000 families in need. The County will continue to work with all local food banks to meet the surge in demand for food assistance through large and small scale distributions.