Needy Long Islanders rise as economy stalls

The economic downturn has sent a surge of Long Islanders to soup kitchens and food banks and pantries.

"We've seen a tremendous increase in the need for food," said Randi Shubin Dresner, who heads Island Harvest, the region's largest hunger-relief agency, which supplies nearly 600 nonprofits.

Dresner said the agency expects to deliver 8.5 million pounds of food this year, 2 million pounds more than in 2009.

Two years ago, Long Island's Interfaith Nutrition Network served about 300,000 people at its 19 soup kitchens. Last year, more than 400,000 were fed, said Cynthia Sucich, director of communications.

At The INN's largest soup kitchen in Hempstead, 250 meals a day were served five years ago. Twice that many are served today, Sucich said.

The Rev. Thomas Goodhue, executive director of the Long Island Council of Churches, said the number of people served by the council's three food pantries rose from 17,400 in 2007 to more than 23,800 last year.

Goodhue said many of those served are so strapped they "can't buy food and pay the rent."

A recent report by Feeding America, a hunger-relief group, found that food banks nationwide are becoming long-term solutions for hard-pressed families and seniors. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said they relied on food banks regularly over the past six months or longer.