By Debra Mulè
Earlier this month, I toured the Mary Brennan Interfaith Nutrition Network, in Hempstead, with my staff. At a time when their work of serving Nassau County’s homeless and hungry populations grows more challenging by the day, it is essential for all who can to support them and organizations like theirs this holiday season — and throughout the year.
Starting in 1983 as a small soup kitchen in Hempstead, the INN soon began offering emergency shelter for the homeless, and built an interfaith network of organizations equipped to reach families in need wherever they might be.
The Mary Brennan INN remains the beating heart of this network, having served over 211,000 meals to nearly 4,500 Long Islanders in 2022 and continuing to coordinate vital “wraparound” services, including referrals for medical and mental health care, housing, assistance with securing government documents and applying for Social Security, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and heat benefits.
All of these noble efforts are guided by one core principle: that every person who visits the INN will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve as children of God. Its mission resonates deeply with the lessons of my own Catholic faith, and Paul’s words to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:35: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Feeding the hungry and housing the homeless has always been a challenging, selfless endeavor. But as 2025 draws to a close, the headwinds are stronger than ever because of rapidly weakening federal support. The Trump administration’s destructive megabill this summer gutted $300 billion in SNAP funding and slashed nearly $900 billion from Medicaid over the next 10 years.
During the government shutdown, the administration demonstrated remarkable callousness in its willingness to use emergency nutrition funding as a bargaining chip. Moreover, working- and middle-class families still face the threat of soaring health care premiums because of the administration’s refusal thus far to extend Affordable Care Act premium subsidies for 22 million American families.
All of this serves as a stark reminder that we all must do our part to provide support and stability to our neighbors. There are some bright spots to report, but there is still more work to be done.
When federal SNAP funding lapsed on Nov. 1, Gov. Kathy Hochul admirably stepped in and declared a state of emergency, providing a crucial bridge of support for New York families in need. Nassau’s Democratic legislative caucus has also worked to deliver resources. Last year we successfully fought to have $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds set aside for eligible nonprofit organizations across the county. That facilitated the delivery of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of resources to local food pantries, including $50,000 for the INN, secured by my colleagues Legislator Scott Davis and State Sen. Siela Bynoe.
In District 6, I was thrilled to deliver $50,000 in ARPA funding for the food pantry at St. Christopher’s Catholic Church in Baldwin; over $22,000 for Ladles of Hope, based at Our Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Freeport; and $10,000 for the NEST at Nassau Community College, a nonprofit that operates a food pantry for students, employees and families.
But on the grass-roots level, there is no force more powerful than the generosity of Nassau County residents.
Whether you support the regional efforts of Long Island Cares or Island Harvest, major events such as the biannual Nassau County Veterans Stand Down at the Freeport Armory, or the food ministry at your church, every contribution helps deliver crucial support for families working to rebuild their lives.
To amplify these efforts, my office is hosting a food drive for the NEST through Dec. 12. If you would like to make a contribution, please visit the Freeport Memorial Library (at 144 W. Merrick Road), the Baldwin Public Library (at 2385 Grand Ave.) or the Oceanside Public Library (at 30 Davison Ave.) during normal business hours.
As we take stock of our blessings this holiday season and prepare for a new year, it’s my hope that each of us will carry this message of charity with us in our hearts — and, because hunger knows no season, make giving back a yearlong routine.
Debra Mulé represents Nassau County’s 6th Legislative District and is the Legislature’s alternate deputy minority leader.
