ISLAND HARVEST LTD

ISLAND HARVEST FOOD BANK IS LONG ISLAND'S LARGEST HUNGER RELIEF ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO ENDING HUNGER AND REDUCING FOOD WASTE. THIS WORK IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH 3 KEY CHANNELS. 1, THROUGH A NETWORK OF OVER 320 COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS SOUP KITCHENS, HEAD START PROGRAMS, MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS SHELTERS AND COMMUNITY PANTRIES. 2, WE GROW AND DISTRIBUTE NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND ESSENTIALS. 3, DIRECTLY TO VULNERABLE NEIGHBERS, WE PROVIDE VITAL SERVICES TO FAMILIES, CHILDREN, SENIORS, AND VETERANS ACROSS NASSAU AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES. PROGRAMS INCLUDING OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, NUTRITION EDUCATION, COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND OUR HEALTHY HARVEST FARM + GIVING GARDENS.SINCE 1992, ISLAND HARVEST FOOD BANK HAS SAFELY DELIVERED MORE THAN 260 MILLION POUNDS OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO LONG ISLANDERS IN NEED. OUR FOOD SOURCING, PROCUREMENT, AND LOGISTICS OPERATION INCLUDES THREE STRATEGICALLY LOCATED DISTRIBUTION CENTERS TOTALING MORE THAN 60,000 SQUARE FEET AND A FLEET OF TRUCKS AND VANS. THIS INFRASTRUCTURE ALLOWS US TO EFFICIENTLY ACQUIRE, STORE, REFRIGERATE, AND DISTRIBUTE LARGE VOLUMES OF FOOD WHILE MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF FOOD SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY. THROUGH OUR ROBUST MOBILE OUTREACH PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAITH-BASED, COMMUNITY AND GOVERMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS AND EMERGENCY FEEDING PROGRAMS, WE EXTEND OUR REACH TO THOSE FACING FOOD INSECURITY, MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE WITH ESSENTIAL RESOURCES.BEYOND FOOD DISTRIBUTION, ISLAND HARVEST FOOD BANK ADDRESSES ROOT CAUSES OF HUNGER, POVERTY, AND FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH A SPECIALLY DESIGNED WORKFORCE AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, NUTRITION EDUCATION, "FOOD AS MEDICINE" NUTRITION SERVICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HEALTH CLINICS AND HOSPITALS, SNAP APPLICATION ASSISTANCE, REFERRAL SERVICES, ADVOCACY AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS, AND OTHER INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ORGANIC FARM, GREENHOUSE, AND GIVING GARDENS PROVIDE CULTURALLY DIVERSE, FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE TO COMMUNITIES WITH RESIDENTS WHO ARE TYPICALLY UNDERSERVED, THUS REINFORCING OUR COMMITMENT TO BOTH IMMEDIATE HUNGER RELIEF AND LONG-TERM FOOD SECURITY. ADDITIONALLY, ISLAND HARVEST, LTD. HOLDS THE EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT WITH NEW YORK STATE FOR THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM, A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM THROUGH THE USDA.ISLAND HARVEST FOOD BANK IS ALSO A TRUSTED EMERGENCY RESPONSE LEADER, PROVIDING CRITICAL FOOD RELIEF AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES DURING DISASTERS INCLUDING SUPERSTORM SANDY LOCALLY, AND PROVIDING RELIEF TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY DURING HURRICANES IRMA, HARVEY, AND MARIA. ISLAND HARVEST FOOD BANK WAS ALSO AT THE FOREFRONT LOCALLY, PROVIDING FOOD AND SERVICES DURING THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THROUGH INNOVATIVE DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND SWIFTLY AND EFFECTIVELY IN TIMES OF CRISIS IS STRENGTHENED BY THE SUPPORT FROM CORPORATE PARTNERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND INDIVIDUAL AND FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTORS, WHO STEP UP WHEN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THEM MOST.AS A MEMBER OF FEEDING AMERICA, A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF FOOD BANKS LEADING THE WORK TO SOLVE HUNGER IN THE U.S. FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, ISLAND HARVEST FOOD BANK CONTINUES TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE, FOCUSED SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE MORE LONG ISLANDERS HAVE RELIABLE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD WHILE WORKING TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF HUNGER AND EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS ON THEIR PATH TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY.