$15K Raised For Long Island Cares By LI Ducks Baseball Team, IFCU

HAUPPAUGE, NY — A $14,800 check was presented to Long Island Cares by Island Federal Credit Union, which donated $100 toward food insecurity for every home run clobbered by a Ducks player this season. With the Ducks in the playoffs, more money should be on the way, as well.

The credit union expanded its donation this year to cover all Ducks home runs — not just at home games. Long Island Cares anticipates it will be able to provide more than 9,000 meals across its six satellites.

The Ducks and Island Federal Credit Union have a far reach and exposure that benefits the food bank "tremendously," said Karen Sullivan, community development coordinator at LI Cares.

"Partnering with them has been a pleasure, and both organizations have always been so generous to Long Island Cares, as well as very committed to our mission to provide for Long Islanders in need," Sullivan told Patch.

When Island Federal Credit Union expanded the partnership to Ducks away games as well, the reason was that the credit union wanted to help more people, said Chris Murray, vice president of marketing at IFCU.

"We’ve been supporting Long Island Cares for over a decade but felt that it was equally important to make Long Islanders aware of the great work they do to eliminate food insecurity here at home," Murray said.

Long Island Cares is one of the largest partnerships IFCU has — and the longest standing, according to Murray.

"[LI Cares CEO] Paule Pachter and his team work tirelessly to help provide food to well over 100,000 food insecure neighbors living in our community," Murray said. "We’re motivated by them and proud to call them partners!"

The Long Island Ducks have found "many ways" to benefit Long Islanders over the past 20-plus years, said Doug Cohen, the team's assistant general manager and vice president of sales.

"This partnership with our friends at Island Federal Credit Union not only results in a generous donation from Island Federal, but we are also helping to raise awareness of the serious challenges that too many Long Island families are facing," Cohen said.

In 2022, there was an "alarming" year-over-year increase in hunger and food insecurity on Long Island, Dr. Jessica Rosati, vice president of programs at Long Island Cares, previously told Patch.

Last year, Long Island Cares distributed 1,041,765 meals to 115,699 visitors, some of whom were repeats, at its five satellites across the island. In 2021, those numbers were 647,844 meals given to 73,896 visitors. The food bank handed out 60 percent more meals last year than in 2021.

"The Ducks and Island Federal Credit Union are as representative of Long Island as Long Island Cares is, so the partnership makes so much sense, and like I said, it’s far reaching which is what our goal always is for Long Islanders," Sullivan said.

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.