Thursday, October 1, 2026
T alk about a lot of birds!
On the Thursday before Thanksgiving, a truckload of turkeys was delivered to the Rockville Centre Recreation Center as part of the village’s annual food drive to help local families in need during the holiday season.
Sysco, a large marketer and distributor of foodservice products in North America, supplied the 60 turkeys, which were purchased by three Rockville Centre organizations: the village of Rockville Centre’s Community Fund, the Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce.
The turkeys — along with non perishable food collected in recent food drives and donated by individuals — will be quietly distributed to a number of local families and several organizations in time for Thanksgiving. Among the organizations who will receive the turkeys are the Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Centre, St. Agnes Cathedral Parish Outreach and the Rockville Centre Lions Club.
Ed Asip, president of the Lions Club, was on hand to help unload the food on the morning of Nov. 18, and he and Mayor Mary Bossart said that the food donations were part of a “joint effort and joint commitment” to support the Rockville Centre community.
Tony Brunetta, Parks and Recreation superintendent, was also on hand to unload the turkeys last Thursday as well, along with former Mayor Eugene Murray.
“This unloading shows the care and concern we have for the community,” Brunetta said. “No person deserves to be left hungry during this season of thanks.”
Anyone wishing to donate non-perishable food items, coupons or sundries for needy children can contact the Rec Center at (516) 678-9338 regarding ongoing collections.
St. Agnes students volunteer at local soup kitchen
Through the auspices of the Mothers’ Club, many of St. Agnes Cathedral School’s seventh graders have already gotten into the spirit of the season — they have been volunteering their time at the Holy Redeemer Soup Kitchen in Freeport. The children prepare both breakfast and hot lunches and assist in cutting, slicing, cleaning, sorting and serving donated meat, vegetables and bread to the needy of the community. They work side by side with the regular volunteers who run the kitchen every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., including Mary Joesten, who started the kitchen several years ago with her husband. The students also dispense clothing and personal items that have been collected and donated to Holy Redeemer.
Each time they go, 12 students earn five Confirmation service hours. They have already volunteered three Saturday mornings, most recently on Nov. 6, and an additional four dates are scheduled for early next year. According to organizers at the school, the kids and adults who volunteer work hard.
Parents of the students who have participated said they leave with a feeling of pride, knowing that they have each helped to do some good. One of the best benefits of volunteering at the soup kitchen is that each child learns the life-long lesson of how vital community service truly is. The children also benefit, parents said, from the experience in a spiritual and communal way, enabling them to visualize the great need on Long Island of those who are hungry and poor.
Like many other soup kitchens and food pantries throughout Long Island, Holy Redeemer is in need of food and monetary donations, as well as manpower to serve its patrons each week. Anyone interested in volunteering, even for an hour or so to help serve the meals at 11:30 a.m. (done in an efficient assembly-line fashion), can contact Mary Joesten at ohr2003@optonline.net.
Back at the school, in what has become an annual tradition prior to Thanksgiving and Easter, the younger children of St. Agnes donate their lunch or money to those less fortunate than themselves. In lieu of a hearty lunch, the children receive one bowl of soup and a cup of water. It is a time of reflection and a call to alms.
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