On December 10th, from 10 am to 2 pm, members from the Roslyn branch collected donations to the Island Harvest Food Bank at the Holiday Farms.
Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading hunger-relief organization with a mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. Island Harvest supports a wide network of community-based non-profit organizations, as well as individuals, veterans, families, and seniors who are in need of support.
When we arrived at the Holiday Farms, we set up two tables, one at the entrance and one at the exit. Even though it was pouring rain and we only had limited space, we still stood outside and worked together to hand out flyers to shoppers coming into the store. We also introduced the organization and explained to people what cause their donation would help support. Despite the rainy weather and lack of customers, we did not give up and stayed until the last minute.
What made us appreciative were the generous people who not only donated money and non-perishable goods, but also personal care items. We filled about five large shopping bags of goods which contained many variations of cans, peanut butter, pasta, and a lot more packaged goods. At last, we collected the monetary donations and packed up the goods. It was all delivered to the warehouse in Uniondale.
The important lesson that we learned from volunteering for the Island Harvest food bank, is that giving makes a world of difference. Food drives provide the opportunity to unite community members in order to make a difference for our neighbors facing hunger. Filling up a food drive box is a tangible way for us to see the impact of our efforts. No matter how much someone has donated, a small gesture can have a huge impact. We learned how to communicate better with strangers with a smile and polite languages. We expressed our gratitude to people who made donations, and we wished the people who turned us away, a Happy Holiday.
Participants include:
Philip Chan ( 2 hours 30 mins), Leah Chan ( 2 hours 30 mins), Letao Tao (4 hours), Adrian Jin (4 hours), Elyse Jin (4 hours), Kacie Li (4 hours), and Kayden Li (4 hours).
Reporter: Kacie Li
