RISE Life Service And Island Harvest Team Up For Local Food Distribution Day

On Thursday, June 27, RISE Life Service’s food pantry will be partnering with Island Harvest to present a Community Food Distribution Day.

Volunteers from both RISE Life Service and Island Harvest will come together in the RISE Life Service’s parking lot to distribute food brought by the Island Harvest truck.

“RISE is very pleased to be able to host this food distribution day with Island Harvest,” said JoAnn Vitale, who coordinates the food pantry program. “It will be ‘all hands on deck,’ handing out food to anyone who comes.”

Located at 901 East Main Street, Suite 500, in Riverhead, Island Harvest will arrive onsite at 1 p.m. to hand out food until the inventory is depleted.

“There will be a truck and special area set up in our parking lot to serve even more people than ever,” Vitale added.

Regularly, RISE Life Services manages the Main Street Market Food Pantry, which is open Wednesday’s from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food, mainly donated by Island Harvest, provides for those who cannot provide for themselves of their families. RISE Life welcomes anyone who is in need.

Since moving locations, RISE Life’s pantry has expanded allowing them to receive double the allotment of food. This expansion was crucial, considering one of the largest food pantries in the community had recently closed.

Island Harvest’s mission is “to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island.” Since its founding in 1992, the organization has grown into the Island’s largest hunger relief organization, delivering millions of pounds of good, surplus food to a group of nearly 600 Long Island-based food pantries, soup kitchens and other non-profit organizations that serve the food insecure.

The goal of RISE, which was previously known as Aid To The Developmentally Disabled (ADD), is to “recognize and identify the special needs of the mentally and developmentally disabled persons and to provide them with a superior professional system of care and services in a homelike environment.” On Wednesdays, many RISE clients assist with the RISE Food Pantry by aiding community members, stocking inventory, and assisting with Pantry visitors.

To learn more about Island Harvest go to www.islandharvest.org. To learn more about RISE Life Services, visit riselifeservices.org or call 631-727-6220.