White Castle, Customers Raise Nearly $15K For Long Island Cares: 'We Are So Proud'

HAUPPAUGE, NY — White Castle and its customers raised $14,800 for Long Island Cares and the organization's mission of fighting food insecurity, the Hauppauge-based food bank announced.

Ten White Castles across Long Island and Queens asked customers to round their bills up to the nearest dollar in March and April. Signs were also placed on counters encouraging people to donate.

The check was presented to Long Island Cares on Wednesday.

Kaylin Peterson, the philanthropy manager at Long Island Cares, thanked White Castle for its "hard work and sincere commitment" to ending hunger on Long Island. The funds will provide 9,028 meals for those struggling with food insecurity, according to Peterson.

"We are so proud of White Castle and honored to be a recipient of this funding," Peterson told Patch.

White Castle appreciates its "loyal White Castle Cravers" who donated their spare change to Long Island Cares, said Ana Palomino, a district supervisor at White Castle.

"Thanks to your kindness, we have successfully gathered nearly $15,000 in just two months," Palomino said. "This remarkable sum will be utilized to provide assistance to numerous families in Long Island who are struggling with food insecurities."

White Castle plans to run the campaign again Oct. 31 through Dec. 31. The burger chain and Long Island Cares have an agreement to run the campaign back in 2024.

"The primary risk to public health on a global scale persist in the form of hunger and malnutrition," Palomino said. "To effectively address this issues, it is essential to extend support that enables families to access the resources required for fighting against hunger."

Participating White Castles were:

• Nassau: Lynbrook, Hempstead and Massapequa.
• Suffolk: Commack, Farmingdale, Deer Park, and Centereach.
• Queens: Bayside, Queens Village, and Jamaica.

Long Island Cares had been approached by White Castle last December about the chain's "District Charity of Choice" campaign.

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.