'Rewarding' Family Affair: LI Family Harvests Food Together For Long Island Cares

HAUPPAUGE, NY — The Heller family is getting hands-on in the fight against food insecurity.

Matt Heller and his 15-year-old twin daughters, Leia and Camryn, volunteer at Long Island Cares' vegetable gardens in Hauppauge. One of the gardens is attended to solely by the three, who are from Commack.

Growing food is the first real community service experience for Heller's daughters, who he said were a little hesitant at first. They started in Huntington, where they were partnered with military veterans, so Heller was not sure if conversation between them would flow naturally or be a struggle.

"In time, the girls grew to really enjoy their time at the garden and getting to know military veterans Fernando and Anthony, as well as everyone else who participated in the program," Heller told Patch. "Getting them involved with LI Cares also led to other community service
involvement including volunteering on the Blackfeet reservation in Montana and for the Postpartum Resource Center’s annual fundraising 5k/10k race in Brightwaters."

Heller and his daughters head over to their Hauppauge garden twice a week for watering and weeding, but the frequency of the trips is expected to increase as the vegetables grow and harvesting is required.

The three are growing kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, tomatoes, eggplant, jalapeño peppers, sweet peppers, and cucumbers.

Leia and Camryn said they enjoy spending time outside after a long day of school and the amount of food they get to donate is "really rewarding."

"We also enjoy spending time with our dad and it was great getting to know Anthony, Fernando and the other veterans and volunteers at the Veterans Garden location last year," the twins said in an email.

The Heller family previously benefited from similar types of support in the past, the girls said. That makes giving back even more rewarding to them.

"A large number of people are hungry each day and it's important for those who have means to do their part to help," the girls said. "Our mother immigrated to America when she was 9 years old from what is now Slovakia (was Czechoslovakia) and they received food stamps for a period of time to help them meet their needs. Our grandparents talked about how when times were tough, knowing there was going to be food on the table helped relieve some of the stress during those early years. We’re hoping that our work can do the same for others who may be struggling to provide enough food for their families."

Heller works as a psychologist at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, while his daughters are Commack High School students.

Heller, being a school psychologist, has worked closely with needy families and has seen the type of benefit that organizations like Long Island Cares provides to those less fortunate. Feeding those who are hungry and giving back to U.S. veterans led to Heller's belief that there is no better organization to support than the regional food bank.

Giving back also lets Heller lead by example while spending time with his daughters.

"As your kids get older, the window to spend quality time together engaged in meaningful projects begins to close," he said. "Doing this together not only builds memories but also shows them that I too am willing to give back, and that it’s not just something THEY should do."

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.