5 Nonprofits Near West Islip To Support This Holiday Season

WEST ISLIP, NY — If you’re like many of your West Islip neighbors, you may spend a good part of the holiday season with your credit card in hand buying gifts for family and friends. Coming up soon is a chance to give back to the local community.

Giving Tuesday, which in 2024 falls on Dec. 3, is a day dedicated to supporting nonprofit and community groups. Since 2012, nonprofits worldwide have used the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to galvanize fundraising, rally volunteers and add momentum to their causes.

Maintaining funding is a constant challenge for many nonprofits that fill gaps and meet other needs in the West Islip area.

Here are five local nonprofits to consider getting behind on Giving Tuesday:

• The Brightwaters-based Pearl Heinlein Foundation is working to "spread love and light" in honor of Pearl Heinlein, who passed away from B-All Leukemia at the age of 9.
• Bay Shore's Marty Lyons Foundation fulfills the wishes of children 3 to 17 who have been diagnosed as having terminal or life-threatening illnesses.
• Dylan's Dream Team Memorial Foundation is located in North Bellmore. They support children and families who are dealing with pediatric cancer.
• Gabriel’s Giving Tree helps Long Island families with the costs of burying loved ones who died from drug overdoses and assists with various drag awareness events.
• Blue Point-based Williams Warriors is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all children undergoing cancer treatment and funding pediatric brain cancer research.