Hometown Hero: Liam Langlan of Patchogue's 'giving box' provides free food to those in need
Liam Langlan and Patchogue-Medford Youth & Community Services's executive director, Samantha Wood, with his 'giving box.' Credit: Kathleen Langlan
A Patchogue teen is giving community members in need an opportunity to access food and toiletries on a 24/7 basis.
Liam Langlan, a junior at Patchogue-Medford High School, recently created a “giving box” at Patchogue-Medford Youth & Community Services, a nonprofit that has served the community since 1982. The box, situated outside of the organization’s Bay Avenue building in Patchogue, allows people to pick up items on their own schedule, even when the building’s indoor pantry is closed, he said.
Langlan, a Boy Scout, tackled the task for his Eagle Scout Award, the highest achievement attainable within the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of Troop 40.
“I think it came out really well — even better than I thought it would,” Langlan, 16, said of the box. “You can take anything you need from it. And if you have something extra, or if you have stuff that you don’t need, you can put that in for people who need it.”
The organization’s executive director, Samantha Wood, praised Langlan’s efforts.
“It is so meaningful when the youth in the community find new and creative ways to give back to our neighbors in need,” she said. “This box allows families to visit Patchogue-Medford Youth & Community Services outside our business hours to collect food and other supplies as needed.”
Langlan built the box in the spring using materials such as plywood and plexiglass with the assistance of fellow scouts and his uncle, Mark Ranaldo, of Huntington. He said he funded the project through donations from family.
To stock the box, Langlan coordinated weeklong food drives in two of his classes — English and social studies — with the permission of his respective teachers, Emily Sbrocchi and Lori Botta. Items donated during the drives included pasta, toilet paper and nonperishable canned goods, he said.
Sbrocchi noted Langlan’s dedication to the efforts, saying, “Liam was very committed to the project and it was obviously very important to him. You could tell this was a passion project.”
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
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