HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK, October 2020 –Island Federal Credit Union (Island Federal) will collect donations of non-perishable food from Thursday October 22nd through Thursday, November 19th to support Long Island Cares – the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Island Federal’s Long Island branches including Hauppauge, Bellmore, Hicksville, Massapequa, Riverhead, Sayville, Selden, and East Setauket will take part in “Thankful Thursdays” to help families in need this Thanksgiving holiday. Besides food items, the food drive will also collect paper goods, toiletries, and pet food.
According to Long Island Cares, approximately 316,000 people on Long Island receive emergency food each year – or 64,900 people every week. Of those, 39% are children under 18 years old. In addition, the impact of the pandemic has increased the number of Long Islanders who are food insecure.
“Working to support our communities is an important part of Island’s mission,” said Island Federal President/CEO Bret W. Sears. “We partner with Long Island Cares on several initiatives to address the problem of hunger in our region, and we’re reaching out to our Members, employees and the community to donate non-perishable food at any of our branches to assist the regional food bank in helping those in need this holiday season.”
“Island branches will have food collection boxes and material describing some of the most needed items to help families experiencing hunger and food insecurity during this time of year,” said William Gonyou, Food Drive Manager at Long Island Cares. “Those in need include seniors, children, veterans and families that don’t have the resources to afford a healthy holiday meal this season, and the generosity of Island and its members will go a long way in helping us feed them this Thanksgiving.”
About Island Federal Credit Union
Island Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Hauppauge, N.Y., is a not-for-profit, full-service financial institution, providing affordable banking products and services to Long Islanders.
Founded in 1955, Island has grown to be among the top performing credit unions in New York State with $1.5 billion in assets, serving nearly 50,000 Members. Island’s successful track record can be attributed to consistently delivering the best rates, no hidden fees, and
exceptional service to its Members. When banking at Island, members have access to a complete menu of loan and deposit products, including: Simply Free Checking accounts, Certificate accounts, IRAs, Auto loans, Mortgage, Home Equity loans and lines, a Credit Mastercard® and Student Choice College loans. For anytime access, Island offers free 24/7/365 customer service, online banking, bill payer, and mobile banking services. In 2014, Island announced a 10-year, multi-faceted partnership with Stony Brook University that included naming rights of the Island Federal Credit Union Arena, sponsorship of the Stony Brook Film Festival, support of the Long Island State Veterans Home and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital as well as providing two branches and more than 14 ATMs on the Stony Brook University campus. In 2018, Island Federal merged with Bay Ridge Federal Credit Union, adding a branch in Brooklyn. In addition to the Stony Brook University and Brooklyn locations, Island operates eight full-service branches located on Long Island, in Bellmore, East Setauket, Hauppauge, Hicksville, Massapequa, Riverhead, Sayville, and Selden. Island members can also access their Island accounts at more than 5,600 shared credit union branches throughout the country, and over 75,000 surcharge-free ATM networks worldwide. For more information about Island, stop by any branch, visit their website, islandfcu.com, or call (631) 851-1100
About Long Island Cares
Founded by the late Harry Chapin, Long Island Cares brings together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry and food insecure on Long Island and, to the best of our ability, provides for the humanitarian needs of our community. Our goals are to improve food security for families, sponsor programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency, and educate the public about the causes and consequences of hunger on Long Island. Our vision is A Hunger Free Long Island.