Catholic Health Announces AT&T Contribution to Help Fight Food Insecurity Across Long Island

Catholic Health is expanding its food insecurity initiative across Long Island with the help of a generous contribution from AT&T.  AT&T’s President of the Atlantic Region John Emra presented Catholic Health President & CEO Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA, with a ceremonial check for $50,000 on Thursday at Caesar Trunzo Senior Center in Brentwood.

“We’re extremely grateful to AT&T for their impactful contribution to support our food insecurity program,” said Dr. O’Shaughnessy.  “We continue to battle this issue in our local communities. Resources, like those provided today, allow us to advance the fight against food insecurity across Long Island.”  

“We are proud to be able to collaborate with Catholic Health to support its food insecurity program that will ensure some of the most vulnerable members in our community have free nourishing food,” said Emra. “It is unacceptable that so many adults and children across Long Island are struggling with food insecurity and that is why we are stepping up to help our friends and neighbors in need.  We hope that other companies will join us in supporting Catholic Health in its remarkable work to end hunger across Long Island.”

This significant support from AT&T will help to further create and expand partnerships with local municipalities, offering hunger screenings and food bags to those who are food insecure. One such example is the partnership with the Town of Islip Senior Nutrition Series and Good Samaritan University Hospital.

Catholic Health’s multifaceted food insecurity initiative currently offers emergency food “to-go” bags distributed in Catholic Health’s six emergency departments and the system’s Bishop McHugh Centers.  Individuals who receive the bags also receive direct referrals to community based organizations to identify resources, such as the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for regular access to healthy foods. Other parts of the program will continue to expand in 2023.

AT&T’s contribution to Catholic Health is an addition to the more than a million dollars the company has provided to community focused organizations across New York over the past year, including nonprofits, food banks, educational programs, higher education institutes, cultural, technology and digital literacy programs, hospitals, law enforcement agencies and first responder organizations.  In New York, the company has also invested more than $1.6 billion in our wireless network from 2019-2021 to keep New Yorkers connected.

Learn more about the different ways Catholic Health is serving the needs of Long Islanders.