Golden Krust To Donate Bread To Long Island Cares In Fight Against Hunger

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Golden Krust, as part of its national 35 Deeds campaign, is set to donate 256 loaves of bread to Long Island Cares, according to a news release. The campaign comes as Golden Krust, a Jamaican fast-casual restaurant group with more than 100 locations in North America, celebrates its 35th anniversary.

Long Island Cares, a Hauppauge charity dedicated to ending hunger on Long Island, is set to pick up the donation from Golden Krust's Amityville storefront on Monday.

"We are excited to announce that Golden Krust has generously donated 250 loaves of pre-sliced bread to our organization," Christine Castiblanco, purchasing and retail donation coordinator at Long Island Cares, told Patch.

Long Island Cares plans to distribute the loaves among its top food pantries, according to
Castiblanco. This will ensure the communities the food bank serves have access to fresh, wholesome bread.

"We are grateful for this thoughtful contribution and for Golden Krust's ongoing support in helping us fight food insecurity," Castiblanco said.

Golden Krust has proudly served communities across the country for 35 years, said Steven Clarke, vice president of marketing at the company.

Maurice Mayhew, the company's Amityville franchisee, has supported the Long Island community for nearly two decades.

"Donating over 250 loaves of bread to Long Island Cares is our way of showing gratitude to our neighbors and supporting an organization that works tirelessly to help those facing food insecurity," Clarke said. "We believe it’s our shared responsibility to fight hunger, and we’re honored to stand alongside Long Island Cares in that mission."

Golden Krust strived to perform charitable work in each of the communities it serves. Long Island Cares's programs were an "ideal fit," according to the company, as the majority of Golden Krust's initiatives are about providing food to the community.

"As we celebrate 35 years, we’re deeply grateful for the communities that have brought us to this milestone," Jaqueline Hawthorne-Robinson, CEO of Golden Krust, said in a news release. "Golden Krust was built on a foundation of family, resilience, culture, and community. Our '35 Deeds' initiative is a way to honor those values by giving back to the people who have supported us — and to building new connections as we continue to grow. Through every meal shared, we bring a taste of home and a hand of support while investing in the future of the neighborhoods we proudly serve. Thank you for being part of our journey and for allowing us to serve as a touchstone for heritage, heart, and hope."

Golden Krust remains a family-run operation that started from a single location in the Bronx before expanding nationwide. After immigrating to New York from Jamaica in the 1980s, Lowell F. Hawthorne and his 10 siblings founded Golden Krust in 1989.

Operating restaurants came naturally to Lowell and his siblings, as their parents, Mavis and Ephraim Hawthorne, founded Hawthorne & Sons Bakery in St. Mary, Jamaica in 1949.

Despite its growth, the Hawthorne family remains at the helm of the business, and through Golden Krust, have acted as the "de facto stewards of Jamaican and Caribbean heritage in the U.S.," according to the news release. The 35 Deeds campaign is an "extension of Golden Krust’s overall mission to foster community through food."

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.