The Town of Brookhaven’s Department of General Services Youth Bureau Division will host its Annual INTERFACE Thanksgiving Food Drive from October 14 through November 13, with the goal of ensuring that families in need can enjoy a traditional holiday meal.
Supervisor Daniel J. Panico praised the program’s impact. “This program brings great joy to Brookhaven families every year. Last year, it provided meals for almost 1,500 families and supplied additional food to four local pantries,” he said.
The Youth Bureau is collecting a wide variety of nonperishable items. Suggested donations include canned sauce, canned gravy, pasta, canned corn, canned yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, cake mix with icing, juice, gelatin, and cereal. In addition, $10 gift cards are being requested to help families purchase hams or turkeys.
Ten donation sites are available throughout the town: Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville; Brookhaven Town Highway Department in Coram; Brookhaven Town Parks and Recreation Department in Centereach; Brookhaven Town Vehicle Control Building in Patchogue; New Village Recreation Center in Centereach; Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai; College 101 Resource Center in East Setauket; Modular Devices in Shirley; Village of Lake Grove’s Village Hall and Recreation Building; and the Coram Fire Department.
The INTERFACE Program is described as a public-private partnership connecting individuals, businesses, and the Town of Brookhaven to assist residents who are struggling, especially during the holiday seasons. Approximately 100 corporations, nonprofit agencies, and community groups participate each year, making the Thanksgiving drive one of the Youth Bureau’s most significant efforts.
“INTERFACE is about neighbors helping neighbors,” organizers said, emphasizing the value of community involvement. For more details about the food drive or the INTERFACE Program, residents may call the Youth Bureau at 631-451-8011 or visit the town’s Community Programs page online.