Assemblymember Charles Lavine (D-North Shore) is doing what he can to ensure people on Long Island have enough to eat. Lavine is taking a hands-on approach in addition to working hard in Albany to secure funding to help food distribution programs right here on Long Island. On Aug. 30, Lavine visited the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center in East Hills to help assemble bags of food and other items essential for people in need on the North Shore to be able to welcome the Jewish New Year with dignity and joy. The bags consisted of items donated by Met Council, America’s largest Jewish charity dedicated to serving the needy.
Last month, Lavine joined Island Harvest CEO Randi Shubin Dresner to help package boxes of non-perishable food and fresh produce for seniors in need as part of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Lavine also worked with Island Harvest’s Community Mobile Market to deliver food at the City of Glen Cove Housing Authority Harold Seidman Senior Citizen Village as part of the same federally funded, state administered program. During that event alone, an astonishing 4,248 pounds of food was distributed to low-income seniors. In addition to his hands-on efforts, Lavine proudly secured a $25,000 grant to support Island Harvest which is now getting the word out about the issue of hunger as part of Hunger Action Month.
Earlier this year, Lavine paid a visit to the offices of Long Island Cares in Hauppauge, also the recipient of a $25,000 grant he secured. That day Lavine was a guest of CEO Paule Pachter on the Breaking Bread podcast. During the episode, Lavine expressed his concern for people in need and his appreciation for the work the organization does, “We want to make sure we have sufficient funding to guarantee that our fellow citizens do not go hungry.
Something that is on the minds of everyone in the legislature whether they are a Democrat or a Republican.”
For more information on how to volunteer to help support the local community’s food needs, people can contact the Office of Assemblymember Lavine at 516-676-0050 or email at lavinec@nyassembly.gov.
—Submitted by the Office of Assemblymember Charles Lavine
