The Junior League of Long Island (JLLI) is proud to announce their signature “Done in a Day” project, Thanksgiving Baskets, taking place on Saturday, November 18th, 2023. Through the “Done in a Day” (DIAD) program, JLLI members have the chance to make an immediate and substantial impact on the local community, as most of these projects are completed within a single day.
Food insecurity on Long Island is a growing concern. According to Feed America, more than 250,000 Long Islanders are food insecure with 79,000 of that number estimated to be children. Of the population of food insecure people in Nassau County 34% and 41% in Suffolk County are ineligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It is due to this that more than 63,000 Long Islanders do not have enough support to put food on the table.
Every year, JLLI members come together to assemble food baskets, ensuring that families can enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. “We are excited that once again, this year, we are able to increase our allocation of baskets from 150 to 175 baskets to help families in need across Long Island. In addition, we are increasing our partners that will be receiving these baskets from six to seven. We are so thankful to our members, our supporters and our community partners who enable us to increase our reach of aid, year-over-year” says Jess Torraca, Director of Projects and Research at Long Island Junior League.
In addition to receiving food and monetary donations at our Junior League Thrift Shop, located in the village of Roslyn, we have devoted the roundup of our thrift shop sales to support our Thanksgiving Baskets Project. Donations can be shipped or dropped off at our Thrift Shop during Store Hours up until November 9. For more information on this project and what donations are needed – please visit https://www.jlli.org/community-projects/2023-thanksgiving-baskets/
“Food insecurity on Long Island is at an all-time high, with many community members struggling to put food on the table. The Junior League of Long Island year after year comes together to help put a little dent in that need; especially during the Holidays with our Thanksgiving Basket program. Each of our members, as well as our Thrift Shop community are dedicated to bringing a little bit of comfort to our fellow Long Islanders through donations of food or funds. It brings a smile to everyone’s face to participate and an honor to be able to serve the community in such a profound way,” says Remi Farnan, President of Long Island Junior League.
The Junior League’s mission is to promote voluntarism, develop and train volunteers and improve our local communities. Through the fundraising efforts off our League, we are able to accomplish all three initiatives. We strongly believe the work we do is essential to improve our communities. For more details on Thanksgiving Baskets, store hours, and JLLI happenings – please visit www.jlli.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @JuniorLeagueLI
About the Junior League of Long Island® The Junior League of Long Island is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Tracing its origins to 1951, the Junior League of Long Island has nearly 200 members in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Headquartered in the Village of Roslyn, the Junior League of Long Island is affiliated with the Association of Junior Leagues International® an organization of 293 Leagues throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and England. The Junior League of Long Island is designated as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Our purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
