Please join me in the fight against hunger.
One in every eight Americans face hunger each day, many of whom are hard-working adults, children, and seniors struggling to make ends meet. They’re turning to soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters for help.
Hunger and food insecurity exists across America and has unsurprisingly grown during the last year. Many middle class families who previously contributed to hunger-relief efforts are now in need, trying to find ways to put food on their tables and make sure their children don’t go to bed hungry.
Those who suffer from hunger aren’t too far from your door. I live near some of the most affluent neighborhoods in the country, and yet there was a 30 percent increase in Long Islanders seeking emergency food assistance this year.
You can fill both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field with the estimated number — 93,000 — of children at risk of hunger on Long Island.
With a drastic rise in the number of those in need and expected decline in corporate giving, it’s never been more important for us to help fight hunger.
For more than six months, I’ve been preparing for my 40th birthday or, as I call it, the big 4 – 0 and beyond. And, for more than a year, people have been asking me how I will celebrate this milestone.
I’ve been torn between my annual desire to get together with family and friends, and other meaningful ways to mark this occasion. Recognizing these do not have to be mutually exclusive, I’ve decided to still gather with those close to me and, at the same time, to help feed those in need.
There are many effective philanthropic organizations. Choosing one to benefit from my Countdown to 40 Make a Difference Drive was very challenging, but I’ve considered the options, especially organization effectiveness and impact, and made a decision.
Island Harvest, serves as a bridge between those who have surplus food and those who need it, supplying hundreds of community-based nonprofit organizations on Long Island with critical food support to help stem the advancing tide of hunger.
Since its inception in 1992, Island Harvest has delivered more than 60 million pounds of food. In support of its mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island, the organization is actively involved in programs to inform the public about the problem of hunger — even in one of the wealthiest regions of the country — and how individuals, businesses, schools, and commercial food establishments can make a difference.
Island Harvest is a member of Feeding America and is the largest hunger-relief organization on Long Island. By relying on volunteers, in-kind services, and donated food, it devotes 97 cents of every dollar contributed directly to its programs.
Please join me in the fight against hunger and make a donation to Island Harvest. Together, we can make a great difference in the lives of those in need. No donation is too small. Our collective gift will make a powerful impact. Whether you give $5 or $50, your contribution will be an integral part of the Countdown to 40 Make a Difference Drive’s success.
As I approach the big 4 – 0 and beyond, I’m focusing on all things 40. So . . . I’m thinking about all the amazing things that $40 can do, like feed a child for five weeks or a family for one week. Wow!
Contributions made in honor of my birthday will be grouped, but the amounts of your gifts will remain confidential. In other words, I will be informed of the names of individuals, companies, and organizations who contribute — without the gift amounts.
We’ll be able to see the total drive results, which I’ll regularly post on Countdown to 40 and on our Facebook Cause page.
Our gifts have the opportunity to make an even greater difference. For every $850 collected, we can sponsor a food rescue truck, which will bring approximately 40,000 pounds of perfectly good food to Long Island.
Making an online donation to the Countdown to 40 Make a Difference Drive is easy at Island Harvet’s donation page.
- For “Purpose of Gift,” select “Other”
- Leave the field that reads “Name & address of person donation is for” blank
- For the field that requests “Event Name/Details,” enter: Lisa-Michelle’s CT40 Drive
- Enter the gift amount, and click on “Donate” to continue
You can also mail a check or money order, made payable to Island Harvest, to: 199 Second Street, Mineola, New York, 11501. Please indicate your contribution is for Lisa-Michelle’s CT40 Drive.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
For more information about Island Harvest, visit www.islandharvest.org or call 516-294-8528.
Information for those in need of resources — and food — is available on Island Harvest's website for Nassau County and Suffolk County.
Thank you all for being part of my journey to the big 4 – 0 and beyond, and for joining me in the fight against hunger.
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