Friday, October 23, 2026
Founded as a soup kitchen in 1983, the Interfaith Nutrition Network has served more than 16 million meals to Long Islanders facing hunger and homelessness. Its new Center for Transformative Change, in Hempstead, marks an expansion of its mission, bringing services beyond food assistance together in one location.
The facility is the third building on the INN’s Madison Avenue campus, including the Mary Brennan INN’s soup kitchen completing the organization’s 58,000-square-foot complex. It features private showers, a clothing boutique, groceries in Guest Choice Pantry and social services together under one roof, to help people in need move beyond homelessness.
Last Friday, roughly 50 people were welcomed into the former warehouse for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Our goal is to go out of business,” Jean Kelly, the INN’s executive director, said, explaining that the organization hopes to help enough people overcome poverty and homelessness that its services are no longer needed.
Dana Lopez, its marketing and communications director, said the building was designed to give guests greater privacy and easier access to services. “We’re basically taking up the services that we already provide, and we’re expanding them in a dedicated space,” Lopez said. “This is really exciting and it’s all in one place — it’s a one-stop shop where all the guests meet, and they’re going to grow.”
The project surpassed its $10 million private capital campaign goal, raising $12.5 million, including $2 million in government funding. The funds covered the building and renovations, which involved nearly three years of planning and construction and 17 different layouts.
“We actually gutted this and designed it — It took 17 tries because we wanted to use every inch to the best ability,” Kelly said. “We knew we needed the warehouse space, a bigger clothing boutique, a Guest Choice Pantry, resource center, people to come in to sleep, extra showers.”
The building also includes a donations warehouse and distribution center to support the INN’s food and clothing programs.
For West Hempstead resident Sherry Fitzgerald, who has volunteered for the organization for four years, one of the biggest improvements is the clothing boutique, designed to resemble a department store, where guests can select clothing and household items.
“It’s roomy, it looks beautiful — I can’t wait when the guests come and see it,” Fitzgerald said. “This is the first time I saw it, because Jason wouldn’t let us see it,” she added, referring to Jason Tessler, director of warehousing and distribution. “He wanted us to be wowed by it. It’s like shopping in a high-end department store.”
The boutique is about two and a half times the size of the previous space at the Mary Brennan INN and has clothing for adults and children. Volunteers continue to sort donations ahead of the center’s opening early next month. The donations come from individuals, community groups and businesses, including excess merchandise and factory seconds with minor imperfections.
“This is my favorite space in the whole building,” Lopez said with a laugh. “They may not have a huge closet to put too much stuff in but they do have families, children that need clothes for school, and need clothing for themselves when they go to work or anywhere.”
The Guest Choice Pantry expands a smaller pantry in the soup kitchen, allowing guests to select groceries from stocked shelves rather than receiving prepacked bags.
“It’s a supermarket without a cash register,” Lopez said.
The center also features showers and laundry facilities. Kelly said that 15 to 20 people sign up for showers each day, with the INN providing toiletries and towels. The new space will also offer greater privacy.
Three sleeping pods will allow people to come in from the street to rest during the day. Lopez described the area as “rest care,” emphasizing that it is not a 24-hour shelter, but rather a place to sleep, regroup and discuss available assistance.
Christian Aguilera, the INN’s chief facilities officer, who joined the organization nearly two decades ago, said the building represents a shift from adapting existing spaces to designing facilities specifically for guests’ needs.
The center will also provide office space for organizations offering legal, medical, mental health and energy assistance, along with computers for job searches, email and other online services.
The INN has introduced a barcode system linked to guest identification cards to track services such as meals and clothing. Guests choose what personal information to provide, and the data helps staff monitor demand and identify regular guests who have stopped visiting.
The center is expected to begin welcoming guests ahead of the holiday season, when demand for assistance often increases. A larger open house is planned for next spring.
