Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive Returns On Nov. 18

BETHPAGE, NY — The 14th Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive to benefit Island Harvest Food Bank is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The annual drive, which kicks off the holiday food drive season on Long Island, will include a no-contact, drive-through donation site, which will enable community residents to remain in their cars while volunteers remove donations.

The Bethpage Turkey Drive will take place at Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s headquarters located at 899 South Oyster Bay Road in Bethpage.

Long Islanders are asked to donate frozen turkeys, non-perishable food items, supermarket gift cards or money. These donations will go directly to Island Harvest, which will help supply Thanksgiving meals to the more than 300,000 food-insecure Long Islanders through its distribution network of over 400 food pantries, soup kitchens and other feeding programs on Long Island. Non-perishable food items needed include canned goods, cereal, pasta, rice, boxed juices and shelf-stable milk (no glass containers).

“Bethpage is a proud, longtime partner and supporter of Island Harvest and its mission to help end hunger on Long Island,” said Linda Armyn, chief strategy and marketing officer for Bethpage. “I encourage everyone to join us this year by making a donation in whatever form and amount you can. With your help, we will make a difference.”

For those unable to make an on-site donation on Nov. 18, most Bethpage Federal Credit Union branches are accepting donations of non-perishable food items from Nov. 1 through 18, with the exception of the Bay Shore King Kullen and Chelsea, New York branches.

You can also make monetary donations online through Nov. 30 by clicking here. Every gift of $35 will help support a holiday meal for a Long Island family.

Since the first Bethpage Turkey Drive in 2009, volunteers have collected more than 42,000 turkeys and 179,000 pounds of food to feed Long Island families in need. Island Harvest Food Bank has seen an increase in the 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.

“So many of our neighbors on Long Island are a paycheck away from disaster, and record inflation and high grocery prices are putting additional burden on families struggling to put food on their tables,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest. “Fortunately, we have a longtime, valued partner in Bethpage Federal Credit Union helping us provide much-needed supplemental food support to the most vulnerable among us. Their ongoing support and generosity are invaluable in our mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island.”