Photo above (Left to right) Food Pantry Director Pat Westlake, Posillico V.P. Chuck Forte, Councilman Lohmann, Supervisor Wehrheim, Senator Mattera, Father Purchal, Anthony Malizia (Credit – Matt Meduri)
With food shortages becoming more frequent, it’s great to see the community work together to provide awareness and support to those in need. One organization in particular that has worked tirelessly to solve this problem is the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry.
The organization has been a guest of the Episcopal Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury for over forty years. Its success comes from donors and volunteers who devote their time and services.
This past Friday, June 14, Posillico Materials paved the driveway leading up to the pantry’s location at the church.
“I’m indebted to all of the volunteers that are here,” said Senator Mario Mattera (R-St.James). “I appreciate them very much for what they have done for the community in need.”
Senator Mattera has established a great relationship with Pat Westlake, who has been director of the pantry for fourteen years. The organization has been making amazing strides under her leadership. This most recent project demonstrates that.
“This is such a blessing to us,” Westlake said. “We don’t get any funding. People just hear about us and donate. It’s neighbors taking care of neighbors.”
Senator Mattera has been involved with the organization for almost a year now after collaborating several times to make a safer and more visually appealing home for the pantry. Various businesses have worked on these projects, the most recent being Posillico, one of the largest paving companies on Long Island.
“Posillico is giving back to the community, that’s what I love about them,” Senator Mattera told The Messenger. “They understood what was needed and they cared for the community.”
The company offered its services for what would’ve been a $40,000 paving job. Posillico worked hard for several hours to complete the paving job in one day. (Finished product pictured above)
“We always look to do charitable work,” said Chuck Forte, Vice President of Posillico and Division Manager of the Asphalt Division. “Whatever we can do to give back to the community is always a plus for us.”
St. Thomas of Canterbury’s Father John Jeffrey Purchal, who has been with the church for almost six years, said that he was excited to get the work done and engage with the community.
“This is a project we have been struggling with for years,” Father Purchal said. “There’s excitement and gratitude for this getting done.”
Not only will this project make it safer for clients and volunteers to attend the food pantry, but it also helps raise awareness for the organization and the food shortages on Long Island. This is a growing issue that has been harming many residents.
“Prices have gone up,” Westlake told The Messenger. “Most of our clients are from the town of Smithtown. It’s an expensive place to live. They need gas for their cars. They need heat for their home. They need food. We can help them with food.”
The food pantry has a variety of clients with numerous reasons for their food insecurities. This includes multigenerational families living together to save money, grandparents raising kids, people who have lost jobs, or people who have gotten sick.
“We have a lot of senior citizens who are just not making enough on their social security,” said Westlake. “Our numbers have definitely gone up. We help about 170 families every month. We estimate we give people seven days’ worth of food for three meals. We provide about 14,000 meals every month.”
The pantry also ensures that well-rounded diets and proper meals are given to families in need. Servings are proportioned by family and consist of vegetables, fruits, dairy, and other staples to ensure adequate nutrition.
The pantry also mentioned that due to such charitable donations from its associated churches and the community, they were able to give out turkeys, hams, and cooking and baking ingredients for Thanksgiving meals.
“This facility serves a lot more people than one would think all year round,” said Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park). “We thank you from the bottom of your hearts for what you’re doing here.”
“What Posillico is doing for the food pantry and the church is just such a wonderful thing,” said Smithtown Councilman Tom Lohmann (R-Smithtown).
The Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry continues to give its best efforts to help solve the food shortage problem. The growing support from the community, including officials like Senator Mattera and Supervisor Wehrheim, has helped the pantry receive something vital that it needs to give back to the community’s needs. The organization will celebrate its fortieth anniversary on July 1 as it will continue to build on its success and help those in need.
The Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry is located at 90 Edgewater Avenue in Smithtown and can be reached at 631-265-7676. The pantry is open from 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
