Hauppauge Students Fulfill Eagle Food Pantry’s Needs, Help The Hungry

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Colin Buscarino and Nicholas Sumwalt, students of Hauppauge High School, were recognized by the district's board of education for making a difference in the school community, the district announced.

"Colin and Nicholas both care deeply about their school’s initiative, the Eagle Food Pantry," the district wrote in a news release.

Buscarino and Sumwalt are the pantry’s president and vice president, respectively. The duo has endeavored to create a resource to help those in need and have worked hard with the help of fellow students to clear a space for shelves to store donations and to fill them.

Hauppauge Middle School Assistant Principal Kristy Pagliari founded the Eagle Food Pantry while she was still the assistant principal at the high school. She did this with the help of high school teacher Jennifer Procaccini, high school social worker Shannon Griffin and many other staff members and students.

At the meeting, the students were awarded certificates in recognition of their exceptional service to the Hauppauge school community.

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.