Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive Set For Nov. 19

BETHPAGE, NY — The 13th annual Bethpage Turkey Drive is set for Nov. 19 this year. The annual food drive benefits Island Harvest Food Bank and helps put food on the table for hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders for Thanksgiving.

The drive will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bethpage Federal Credit Union headquarters at 899 South Oyster Bay Road in Bethpage. You can donate frozen turkeys, non-perishable food or cash. The donations will go straight to Island Harvest, which helps to give Thanksgiving meals to more than 300,000 Long Island families each year. Non-perishable food items needed include canned goods, cereal, pasta, rice, boxed juices, and shelf-stable milk. No glass containers, please.

This year's food drive will have a non-contact donation drive-through, so residents can remain in their cars while volunteers take the donations.

“Thanks to Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s annual turkey drive and the generosity of countless Long Islanders, we’re able to provide a traditional holiday-style meal, complete with a turkey and all the trimmings, to thousands of local families who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank.

If you can't make it to the food drive, you can also make a monetary donation online, now through Dec. 31. Donations can also be made at any Bethpage Federal Credit Union branch.

“2020 was a record-breaking year for the turkey drive,” said Linda Armyn, senior vice president of Bethpage Federal Credit Union. “We hope Long Islanders continue to show their support again this year as the need on Long Island is still great. We’ve also taken all necessary safety precautions with the contactless drive-through donation drop-off so everyone should feel very safe.”

Patches will be given to all Girl Scouts who make a donation. Troop leaders can make a donation on behalf of troop members, and bring back patches for the entire troop.

Since the first Bethpage Turkey Drive in 2009, more than 40,000 turkeys and over 168,000 pounds of food have been collected and distributed. Recently, Island Harvest has seen an increase in requests for food and support services among the 400 community-based agencies it serves. About 70,000 individuals receive food assistance from the Island Harvest Food Bank network each week.