(Contact: Epoch 5 Public Relations)
Long Islanders Urged to Make a Difference and
Help Their Hungry Neighbors Enjoy a Thanksgiving Meal
Donations to Also Help Hurricane Sandy Victims Still Facing Hardship
Bethpage, NY – Long Island largest on-site food drive, the 5th Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive to benefit Island Harvest Food Bank, will expand this year to take place in both Nassau & Suffolk Counties. In Nassau, on Friday, November 15, 2013 from 7 AM to 6 PM, the daylong drive will take place outside of Bethpage’s main branch located at 899 South Oyster Bay Road in Bethpage. In Suffolk, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 from 11 AM to 1 PM, Stony Brook University will play host to the newly added Suffolk County location, where volunteers will accept donations in the university parking lot just outside of the Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, where the Stony Brook Sea Wolves game against the Albany Great Danes will begin at 1 PM.
Long Islanders are asked to donate frozen turkeys, non-perishable food items or cash donations, which will help Island Harvest supply meals to the over 300,000 hungry Long Islanders in need, including the thousands of Hurricane Sandy victims still facing hardship.
“Each year the turkey drive has grown to what is now considered the largest on-site food drive on Long Island and so we are thrilled this year to expand even more by partnering with Stony Brook University to offer a drop off location for Suffolk County residents,” says Linda Armyn, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Bethpage. “This year also commemorates our fifth year working to support Island Harvest, an organization that has greatly accomplished so much for Long Island. I also want to thank our partners – Cablevision and Connoisseur Media for their continued, unwavering support, year after year.”
“Last year’s Turkey Drive took on increased meaning as we worked tirelessly to expand the event to become a turkey, emergency food and relief effort for those impacted by Superstorm Sandy,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO, Island Harvest. “Countless Long Island families continue to struggle through economic uncertainty and many more are still dealing with the effects of the storm. Thanks to the continued support of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Cablevision, Connoisseur Media and generous Long Islanders, the holidays will be a bit more hopeful for our neighbors in need.”
Also on November 15, Nassau and Suffolk County residents unable to travel to Bethpage’s main branch, can visit any of Bethpage’s other 24 branch locations to drop off all non-perishable donations. For a complete list of Bethpage branches, go to www.lovebethpage.com.
Lisa Trimarchi, Vice President of Employee Services, Cablevision Systems Corporation, said, “Cablevision’s roots are right here on Long Island, and we are pleased to join with Bethpage again this year to help address the many challenges affecting the communities we serve.”
Since the first Bethpage Turkey Drive was organized in 2009, hundreds of community volunteers have come out to assist in the collection of over 20,000 turkeys and 50,000 pounds of food, which were then provided to Long Island families facing hardship in time for the holidays. Island Harvest has seen an increase in the requests for food and support services among the 570 community-based agencies it serves. About 70,000 individuals receive food assistance from the Island Harvest network each week. Now, following Hurricane Sandy, the numbers are still unprecedented.
Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization, Island Harvest provides food and non-food items for people who are hungry and in need, giving them a voice to help them transition from uncertainty to stability.
Bethpage Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, existing solely to serve its members and has experienced rapid growth in recent years to become a strong alternative to banks. Bethpage was approved for the largest federal community charter in the U.S. in 2003 and now is Long Island’s largest credit union and leading community financial institution with over 228,000 members, 25 branches and 60 shared service center locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. As a financial cooperative, Bethpage offers better rates, lower fees and a full menu of personal and commercial financial services.
Bethpage maintains branch locations in Bay Shore, Bay Shore King Kullen, Bethpage, Central Islip, Commack King Kullen, Elmont, Farmingdale, Freeport, Glen Cove, Hempstead, Huntington, Levittown King Kullen, Lynbrook, Massapequa, Melville, Mineola, North Babylon, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Seaford, Smithtown, Roosevelt, West Babylon and Westbury with over 425 surcharge-free ATMs in King Kullen, 7-Eleven, CVS Pharmacy and Costco locations throughout Long Island. For more information, call 1-800-628-7070 or visit www.bethpagefcu.com.