Long Island Cares is one of the region’s most comprehensive hunger assistance organizations, serving thousands of individuals and families in need.
Our mission is to bring together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry on Long Island, and provide to the best of our ability for the humanitarian needs of our community. We provide food when and where it’s needed, sponsor programs that promote self-sufficiency and educate the public about the causes and consequences of hunger on Long Island. Our vision is a hunger-free Long Island.
Founded as the first food bank on Long Island, New York, in 1980 by the late singer, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and social activist Harry Chapin, our organization now provides nutritional food and support services for a network of more than 580 community-based member agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, child care programs, disability organizations, veterans’ services programs and more.
While the annual distribution of more than six million pounds of nutritious food is the heart of Long Island Cares, we’re more than just a food bank.