Marines Bearing Turkeys Storm LI Cares

U.S. Marines bearing donated Thanksgiving turkeys stormed Long Island Cares on Thursday morning.

The Hauppauge-based nonprofit received 1,200 donated Shady Brook Farms all-natural turkeys from Stop & Stop's Turkey Express program to give out to needy Long Island families this Thanksgiving. Marines were close by when the Massachusetts truck arrived bearing the donations.

"It really makes a difference," said Paul Pachter, executive director of LI Cares –The Harry Chapin Food bank. "Our agencies have requested 10,000 turkeys this year, and with this we'll be able to deliver 6,000.  We also have some hams in the freezer, so everyone is going to et something. No one is going to go without."

U.S. Marines who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, now based in Amityville, were on hand to help unload the previous cargo into LI Care's warehouse.

"Technically it was something we were asked to do, but it's something we look forward to doing," said Sgt. Richard Blasingame.

The turkeys will be stored in LI Cares warehouse until they are distributed to its more than 520 member agencies. Pachter said some of the turkeys will be delivered directly to needy families through LI Cares' new mobile pantry units later next week.

In addition, 500 turkeys were donated to Mineola-based Island Harvest. The agency's turkeys were put into its mobile truck for distribution, said its President and CEO Randi Shubin Dresner. The donations will help fill much of a greater need, though it still needs donations to meet its goals.

"This year is particularly difficult for people in need in the community. There's an increase in unemployment and under unemployment," Dresner said. "When we sent out surveys this year, we received 42,000 requests. That's 17,000 more than last year."

The agency was able to collect 11,000 turkeys in 2010, but the president said there's an ever growing gap between the demand and donations. 

"This sets an example of what a company can do," Dresner said.

Stop & Shop's Turkey Express program started 12 years ago, and have been delivering turkeys to Long Island for the past 10 years, said Amy Murphy, Shop & Stop's director of external communications for the New York Metro region. The program will deliver more than 20,000 turkeys and $12 million in product and financial support to food banks this season.