Jessica Ramroop wants to be a neurosurgeon when she grows up, but for now helps out when she can volunteering for Island Harvest and other charitable organizations.
Ramroop, 14, spent last Saturday morning with her sister Alyssa, 12, volunteering for Island Harvest’s Trimmings Bag Promotion at Stop and Shop in New Hyde Park.
Island Harvest is not-for-profit hunger relief organization that serves all of Long Island.
“I do this for community service for my school, but I also want to give back to the community,” said Ramroop, who lives in Woodhaven, Queens.
She isn’t the only one in the family who wants to be a doctor, her sister Alyssa wants to be a pediatrician and said she volunteers because she enjoys helping out.
They first heard of the event in New Hyde Park through their mother who works at Long Island Radio, and is a sponsor of Island Harvest. They also volunteer for walk fundraisers and Sunrise Day Camp, a camp for children with cancer.
The trimmings bag included a box of stuffing, canned corn, cranberry sauce, gravy and one or two other canned goods.
Holding one of the bags, Jessica and her sister approached customers handing them a flyer and asking for their support in purchasing the bag for $7.50. Customers could then purchase the bag at the register and drop it off at a bin behind the registers. The food was later to be shipped to a local food pantry and portion of the proceeds go to Island Harvest.
Also helping to volunteer Saturday was 75-year-old Tom Reid and 61-year-old Tony Minerva.
Reid, a Garden City South resident is a retired superintendent for the department of public works in Mineola, and first started volunteering when a neighbor at his local church St. Andrews asked for help.
“A neighbor at my church asked for volunteers and I’ve been helping ever since,” Reid said. “It helps a lot of people out and that is why I do this.”
Minerva, a New Hyde Park resident is a retired controller for the town of Smithtown, and now works part time as treasurer for the town’s fire district.
“Doing this makes me feel good,” Minerva said. “It lets me help people, and unfortunately there is a terrible need for food on Long Island.”
Minerva, who has volunteered with Island Harvest in the past, was the team captain for the event, making him responsible for getting the material needed, and that people are setup at the right area.
Minerva said he remembered a woman who wanted to buy a trimmings bag with food stamps.
“I was ecstatic,” Minerva said. “It’s nice to see people who like to help other people, no matter what their circumstances are.”
The Trimming Bag Promotion has been going on for the last four years, said Island Harvest Spokesperson Don Miller. Every year starting in November Island Harvest holds a turkey donation drive.
“To help supplement their turkey drive four years ago Island Harvest President and CEO Randi Shubin Dresner saw lots of donations for turkeys, but saw there was a need for trimmings as well,” Miller said. “It’s really a great program that compliments the annual turkey drive. It gives people an opportunity to enjoy a traditional holiday meal.”
“It’s really evolved into the total campaign in addition to the turkey donations,” he added. “This is supplementary help with an increasing demand in turkeys. When we first started the trimmings campaign the demand for turkeys was 25,000, now we get requests from our member agencies for 42,000.”
Island Harvest has 4,000 volunteers with 570 member agencies made up of food pantries, soup kitchens, senior citizens centers, child care centers, and veteran services. They are funded by private donations, grants from foundations, and people who donate food and funds. What helps make them successful Miller said, is that out of every dollar they collect, 97 cents goes directly into programs and services.
Miller said the donations have not been as high this year, but credits the help of Stop and Shop.
“Donations are off because of the economy,” Miller said. “We’ve seen cases where people were once donors are now recipients. The middle class is being squeezed, but fortunately there are agencies out there who help and we’re here to meet that need. Last year alone Island Harvest helped to donate 8.5 million pounds of food. All things considered, we have a great partnership with Stop and Shop. They have been very supportive and took the issue of hunger quite serious and have donated thousands of turkeys over the years.”
Volunteers looking to help can register at their website, www.IslandHarvest.org.
