Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive Celebrates Fourteenth Year

Inflation drives up average cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner

Now in its 14th year, the Bethpage Turkey Drive to benefit Island Harvest Food Bank will take place on 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 donation car drive-through which will enable community residents to remain in their cars while volunteers remove donations from the vehicles.
Long Islanders are asked to donate frozen turkeys, non-perishable food items, supermarket gift cards or monetary donations. 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 (please, no glass containers).

The Bethpage Turkey Drive will take place at Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s headquarters located at 899 South Oyster Bay Rd. in Bethpage.
For those unable to make an on-site donation on Nov. 18, most Bethpage branch locations are accepting non-perishable food items through Nov. 18 with the exception of the Bay Shore King Kullen and Chelsea, New York City branches.

Or, if you would rather show your support online, Bethpage is accepting online monetary donations at https://bit.ly/3zDUzyu through Nov. 30. Every gift of $35 will help support a holiday meal for your Long Island neighbors.
“Bethpage is a proud, longtime partner and supporter of Island Harvest and its mission to help end hunger on Long Island,” Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer Linda Armyn said. “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.”

“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,” Island Harvest President/CEO Randi Shubin Dresner said. “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.”
Patches will be given to all Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts who make a donation. Troop leaders can make a donation on behalf of troop members and bring back patches for the entire troop.

Since the first Bethpage Turkey Drive was organized in 2009, hundreds of community volunteers have come out to assist in the collection of more than 42,000 turkeys and over 179,000 pounds of food, which were then given to Long Island families facing hardship in time for the holidays. 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.

—Submitted by Island Harvest Food Bank