Island Harvest "Coin Harvest" - SuffolkJournal.com

LI Schools Rally To Help Hungry

January 29, 2003

Island Harvest, Long Island's food rescue organization, today announced the launch of Coin Harvest 2003, the 5th annual hunger awareness fundraising campaign by Long Island elementary and middle schools. The funds raised are used to support Island Harvest's food collection and distribution programs, which serve thousands of hungry Long Islanders every year.

Schools elect a two-week period between February and May for their campaign drives. Students who volunteer to participate receive brown paper bags, the universal symbol of the school lunch, in which to collect coins from family and friends.

"The brown paper bags remind us that not everyone is lucky enough to be able to fill a lunch bag every day. It is estimated that over 40,000 children on Long Island go to bed hungry or are at risk of hunger every night," said Randi Dresner, Executive Director of Island Harvest. "Believe it or not, it only takes 25 cents for Island Harvest to rescue and deliver one pound of food. When the students put their small change together it adds up to a big change for hungry children and adults across Long Island."

Sixty schools raised more than $55,000 in last year's Coin Harvest
campaign. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to the support of Island Harvest food rescue programs which support child care centers, Head Start programs, senior citizens programs, emergency food pantries, community residences and soup kitchens.

McVey Elementary in East Meadow, the 2002 campaign winner, issued a challenge to schools across Nassau and Suffolk Counties to beat last year's fundraising total.

"Our students really throw themselves into the Coin Harvest every year. It is a great way to educate young people about nutrition and hunger awareness, while giving them an opportunity to make a real difference in the community," said Irene Jennings, the faculty advisor who heads McVey's annual drive.

In addition to posters, fliers and 5-gallon collection drums, Island Harvest provides schools with a food chart and other educational materials that can be incorporated into a hunger awareness curriculum.

Island Harvest is able to operate the Coin Harvest as a zero-cost campaign, thanks to the support of Computer Associates which provided a cash grant and five other corporate sponsors who are contributing the goods and services for the campaign. They include Canon, Harrison Leifer DiMarco, Richner Communications, Sunshine Check Cashing, UPS and the New York Mets.

Schools wishing to participate in this year's Coin Harvest may contact Randi Dresner at (516) 294-8528.

Founded in 1992, Island Harvest is dedicated to ending hunger and reducing food waste on Long Island. Through a dedicated corps of over 600 volunteers and a network of 500 commercial food donors, Island Harvest enables 400 non-profit member agencies to feed a larger number of people with donated food; to reallocate funds to other essential services; and to eliminate the wasteful disposal of nutritious food in landfills.For more information, visit Island Harvest at www.islandharvest.org.