Island Harvest is getting a new set of wheels.
The Hauppauge-based food bank will receive a 16-foot refrigerated Freightliner Sprinter to bring food to Long Island’s soup kitchens, food pantries and other emergency feeding programs Thursday.
The vehicle was purchased through the efforts of seven community banks, which included American Community Bank, Bridgehampton National Bank, Community National Bank, Empire National Bank, The First National Bank of Long Island, Flushing Bank and Suffolk County National Bank. The van is capable of carrying 4,000 pounds of food, or the equivalent of approximately 3,333 meals.
The organization said that the need for food is a real problem across the country and for many on Long Island. More than 300,000 Long Islanders, including about 110,000 children face hunger every day, Island Harvest said.
“These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days. Food banks and other emergency feeding programs are unfortunately becoming long-term solutions for hard-pressed families,” the organization said in a press release.
Island Harvest will hold a dedication event on Thursday to unveil the new vehicle.
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