Long Island is a place that features some of the highest home prices and highest property taxes in the country. You might think that the people that live here are well-off, or at the very least, able to make ends meet. However, this is not the case. There is far more poverty here than most people would imagine.
Island Harvest is a local charity that distributes seven million pounds of food through the cooperation of hundreds of community-based groups. In a recent post, I wrote about the Turkey & Trimmings Collection Campaign that Island Harvest was sponsoring. Last year, this program was responsible for the distribution of 9,000 donated turkeys. This year, Island Harvest has set their goal at 22,000 turkeys to be donated, which is an ambitious goal that can only be achieved with a great deal of support.
There are two major objectives of the Turkey & Trimmings Collection Campaign. The first is to have a successful collection so that there will be enough food to go around during this holiday season. The second is to raise awareness about this program so that people will continue to donate during the rest of the year as well.
Island Harvest expects there to be an increase in demand due to the rising cost of home heating, gas prices, and health insurance. Even those that receive health insurance from their employer are not immune to the need for assistance as money gets tight. In fact, most of the people that access food from Island Harvest are working class people. Only 4% of the people that use Island Harvest for food are homeless.
Here is an astounding fact that shows just how difficult it is to make ends meet on Long Island. To pay the average rent, a Long Islander making minimum wage would have to work 168 hours per week, the exact amount of hours that there are in a week! Is it any wonder that Island Harvest collects and distributes approximately $15 million worth of food each year?
This wouldn't be possible without the support of local businesses. One business, in particular is really stepping up to help. Waldbaum's supermarket chain will donate a turkey to go along with any customer's donation of the trimmings.
Individuals can also easily make a donation by sponsoring a light bulb to be hung on the Christmas tree in RexCorp Plaza in Uniondale. The cost is only $1, and each dollar will be going directly to Island Harvest. There are 50,000 bulbs on the tree.
If you are interested in donating or volunteering, you can call 516-294-8528 or go to Island Harvest's website.
About The AuthorAdam Waldman is a Long Island Residential Real Estate and Relocation Specialist that can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate on Long Island or any place else in the country by connecting you with a relocation professional in your destination of choice. Many Long Islanders have chosen to relocate to other parts of the country, but often times they don't have anyone to turn to for assistance. Realizing that this was an underserved market, Adam Waldman has created a team of professionals throughout the country to ensure that relocating Long Islanders enjoy a smooth transition to their new area. These professionals are experts in the field of relocation and can serve many purposes beyond a simple home search. Please visit www.TheLIReloGuy.com for your relocation needs and www.AdamWaldman.com for your local needs.
Adam Waldman - RE/MAX Best - 631-357-2036 - adam@AdamWaldman.com
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How very nice to see these hard working volunteers getting your spotlight, Adam. Good job!