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Soup's on! Keep it going.
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As another holiday season approaches in the midst of a national economic crisis, food pantries and soup kitchens along the North Shore continue to provide assistance to the needy.
According to Cynthia Sucich, director of communications for The Interfaith Nutrition Network that operates 19 soup kitchens across Long Island, "the face of hunger and homelessness is changing" as more middle-class families struggle to make ends meet. At The INN's main soup kitchen in Hempstead, volunteers saw a 40 percent growth in the number of guests over the summer, Sucich said, noting that such a dramatic increase was not anticipated. "We turned around and it was there," she said. "It just happened. There was a huge increase we never expected."
The INN's 19 locations, including Patchogue, Rocky Point and Port Jefferson, provide approximately 350,000 meals per year, Sucich said. And while all 19 soup kitchens have experienced increases in the number of guests over the past year, the director said consistent donations from community members have helped The INN maintain its services. "We're very fortunate that our donors are wonderful," she said. "They haven't stopped giving."
In Port Jefferson, more than 75 volunteers help operate Welcome INN, which provides meals in four different churches, said Welcome INN President Marge Tumilowicz. Describing the volunteers as the "most loyal, wonderful group of people," Tumilowicz, a 40-year Port Jefferson resident, said Welcome INN has had "continuous response from our donors" as the number of guests increased by 30 percent since last year.
"People are very good to us," Tumilowicz said, noting that the soup kitchen strives to "simply serve our meals in a safe environment."
Carol Moor, director of Invited INN in Rocky Point's Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, said that location has also experienced a 20 percent increase in the number of guests. Moor, who has been involved with the soup kitchen since its inception nearly 18 years ago, said a total 60 volunteers manage weekly duties in groups of 15.
Invited INN, which serves about 100 people a night, treats all guests "with dignity and respect," said Moor, a 42-year Sound Beach resident. "Everybody's welcome and no questions are asked. For some people, it's the only hot meal they have all week. There's a great need out there."
Bellport-based Lighthouse Mission also provides assistance throughout Long Island, including a weekly outreach program in Port Jefferson Station, according to Tracie Neilsen, the organization's director of operations. With nine service locations across Suffolk County, Lighthouse Mission distributes food from mobile pantries to about 600 families per week, Neilsen said, noting that the number of "new faces" has increased by about 15 percent in the past year.
In Northport, a food pantry at the First Presbyterian Church has been serving the community for over 25 years, Director Sally Stark said. While the number of residents utilizing the food pantry has increased by about 30 percent since last year, Stark said, volunteers and donors have continued to provide excellent support. "Because of the generous support of the community, we're meeting the needs of the people who come to us," she said. "We hope it's ongoing. The need is great in the community."
The Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry also receives help from hundreds of volunteers throughout the year, said executive coordinator Patricia Westlake. With seven churches in Smithtown and St. James providing everyday food items, such as pasta, juice and canned goods, the food pantry serves about 12 to 15 families a day, she said. Comparing the period from January to October in 2008 and 2009, the coordinator said there has been a 75 percent increase in the number of visitors. "We never turn anyone away," she said, and guests don't have to be Smithtown residents to receive assistance.
In terms of supplies, Westlake said the food pantry is in "OK shape."
"We don't have a lot for the future," she said, "but this community is so supportive." Food network for the North Shore
Soup kitchens
Invited INN, Rocky Point
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
716 Route 25A
Thursday dinner at 5 pm
For more information, visit www.the-inn.org.
Welcome INN, Port Jefferson. Dinners are served at 5:45 pm
• St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
309 Patchogue Road (Rt. 112), Port Jefferson
Sunday lunch at 1 pm and Wednesday dinner
• Christ Church Episcopal
127 Barnum Avenue, Port Jefferson
Monday dinner
• Christ United Methodist Church
545 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station
Tuesday dinner
• First Presbyterian Church
Main and South streets, Port Jefferson
Friday dinner
(Both Invited INN and Welcome INN are part of the Interfaith Nutrition
Network)
Food pantries
• Lighthouse Mission, Port Jefferson Station mobile food pantry
Thursdays from 12 to 1 pm, corner of Hallock Ave. and Route 112
To make donations, visit main office at 1543 Montauk Highway in Bellport
from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday.
• First Presbyterian Church of Northport, food pantry
330 Main Street
Monday to Thursday, 10 am to 12 pm
• Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry
90 Edgewater Avenue
Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12 pm
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