LI Man Who Experienced Food Insecurity Gives Back To The Hungry

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Often, the most passionate volunteers are people who have been impacted by the cause they are fighting for.

Ambrose Rajendran, 23, is a Hofstra alumnus who moved to Long Island five years ago after growing up across the globe.

Rajendran, who said he was looking for a way to directly serve the community, learned about Long Island Cares online. Rajendran, a medical scribe and EMT, has since become a dedicated volunteer at the Long Island Cares Harry Chapin Food Bank's main warehouse in Hauppauge.

Rajendran said he and his family are no strangers to food insecurity.

"When my mom was young, she grew up with food insecurity and did not know when she would get her next meal, when she would go hungry, or what she would have to eat," Rajendran told Patch. "Growing up, my mom instilled the values of preventing food waste and ensuring that I did everything in my power to make sure that food is used wisely."

Rajendran said his father was laid off from his job last September, causing "similar food insecurity" for the family. Rajendran said he found himself underweight.

"At Long Island Cares, I feel that I am actively embodying the values that I hold by helping those in a similar situation as myself," Rajendran said.

Rajendran, who once lived in India, said the country has a program similar to U.S. food stamps called "Ration Cards." The cards allow people to get a certain amount of food rationed for them, and the amount of food they collect will be marked on their card to account for the food being distributed.

"The system benefited those in poverty in India, but the leading political party in India has made changes to the poverty line," Rajendran said. "The changes mean that there, the number of people classified as being impoverished has decreased, but made no change to people's status, meaning that fewer people who need Ration Cards are eligible for the program due to the changes. Witnessing some of the budget changes within the U.S. to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program in certain states that makes non-food items like soap and toothpaste ineligible for SNAP programs worries me about the trajectory that the U.S. is following in providing for impoverished citizens. What brings me hope is that SNAP programs are considering adding hot foods like rotisserie chicken to be covered by SNAP cards, which I believe will improve the nutritional value of the SNAP program."

Rajendran said he would like to advocate for a couple of things that could benefit the food-insecure in the U.S.

"One: That laws be changed to allow grocery stores to donate food that is safe for consumption to be directly provided to the community at the end of the grocery store day to reduce food waste," he said. "Two: That the companies involved in packaging food are educated on what packaging methods will ensure food freshness. This point is especially important, because I have lost count how many times food that could have been donated was wasted because it was improperly packaged and made the food spoil faster (ex:- potatoes wrapped in plastic, too many oranges packed in one bag)."

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.