LI Cares Volunteer Brings Gourmet Sweet 'Treats' To Food Insecure

HUNTINGTON, NY — The food-insecure population that visits Long Island Cares satellites need nutritious foods. But they may sometimes get an extra treat.

Wendy Grand, a Huntington resident who began volunteering at the Huntington Station satellite in 2021, works in the community garden on Route 110. There, she works with people from all walks of life, including veterans and high-schoolers, to help grow food for hungry people.

Grand also brings gourmet chocolate to Long Island Cares on a monthly basis, as she feels those who are food-insecure should also get to indulge in treats.

“Because we all should have something special. Why not?” Grand told Patch. “They need to have their protein and all their vitamins and minerals, but they should also have an extra special treat.”

Grand was at Walt Whitman Shops with her family over a year ago when she wanted to buy chocolate at Läderach, a Swiss chocolate and confectionary manufacturer. Läderach sells big slabs of chocolate in different flavors.

“I said, 'Oh, I like dark chocolate. Which one is the freshest?'” Grand recalled. “The woman behind the counter says to me, 'Oh, they’re all fresh!' Läderach only allows us; after two weeks, you have to throw it out if you don’t sell.' I said, 'You have to what?' 'Throw it out.' 'You actually throw it out?' She said yes.”

Grand asked to speak with the manager, who called her back and said Läderach would love to donate to Long Island Cares.

Grand makes monthly visits to the store and has since donated roughly 1,000 pounds of gourmet chocolate to the food pantry. She picks the sweets up in her sedan and brings them to the pantry, where they are weighed.

“The clients love it, because yes, they need nutritional food, but why not have a treat like everyone else can?”

Dali Boczek, director of satellite services at Long Island Cares, said even though Läderach cannot sell chocolates that are past their “best by” date, the confections are still good to eat for eight months. She applauded Grand for asking if the excess chocolates could be donated to feed the hungry.

“The look on the faces of our clients when they receive a beautifully wrapped package of Swiss Chocolate is priceless!” Boczek said. “Our clients would not have had the opportunity to eat them, otherwise. We are grateful to the time Wendy takes to pick up this specialty item whenever Läderach calls.”

Dark chocolate, with a high cacao content, can be good to eat for up to three years past its best by date, according to Hotel Chocolat. Milk and white chocolates can last up to eight months, as well.

Grand said she also asked her local gym for donations of surplus protein shakes and protein bars, in addition to a local bakery and oil and vinegar store.

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She initially volunteered at the Hauppauge warehouse before she was told there was a Huntington Station branch in 2021. Boczek asked Grand if she wanted to work in the garden, as she needed volunteers there.

“I’m like, 'It’s right up my alley. I love being outdoors, so yes!'” Grand said.

She is now in her third harvest season, volunteering with the nonprofit on a weekly basis.

Grand has worked with veterans from several wars, but she noted a man who served in the Korean War was absent from the garden Monday. She asked Boczek where he was, and it turns out he got sick.

Grand offered to make a card for the veteran, while Boczek had the idea of FaceTiming him.

“Myself and the other volunteers and the other veterans all wished him well,” Grand said. “He was recuperating from an illness. It brightened my day, it brightened his day, and it brightened everybody’s day. He knew we were starting, and he was missing being there.”

Boczek said Grand has been “instrumental” in helping veterans maintain their garden beds.

“The veterans love her dedication,” Boczek said.

Grand also works with high school students who need community service points, but she said the kids really enjoy volunteering in the garden.

“You really build a nice bond,” she said. “It helps with isolation. It’s really a beautiful thing. I love being there.”

Grand lauded one high school student, Sophie, who is going away to college soon. The student, for her Girl Scout Gold Award, made four seats with plastic baskets for the veterans. She hand-painted the baskets with a vegetable design.

Grand retired from her job as a clinical social worker before the coronavirus pandemic, where she gained experience helping people who are food-insecure. Her social work skills help her interact with the clients at the pantry and garden, she said.

In her spare time, Grand enjoys playing pick-up pickleball games.

Grand asked any business interested in donating food to Long Island Cares to email her at info@licares.org.

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.