Community Corner

Sayville Soup Kitchen Needs Community Support

Help Having Friends INN by donating toward the purchase of new kitchen equipment.

A Sayville soup kitchen and emergency food service facility that feeds those in need is now in need of support in the form of community donations.

(Interfaith Nutritional Network) is asking area residents and businesses for donations to help fund the purchase of a stove exhaust hood and fire suppression system that will allow the facility to continue feeding the hungry four nights a week, as they have since 1994. The stove was deemed unusable by order of the Islip Town Marshal in December 2011 after two Carbon Monoxide alerts.

Soup Kitchen coordinators Sonny Greco and Bob Brown said the more than 40-year-old donated stove still works, but can't be used until the proper equipment is installed- a project that can total $11,000. The INN, which is staffed and organized by volunteers of five faith based Sayville area groups, is held in the annex building behind on Middle Road.

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Serving dinner Monday through Thursday, Having Friends INN feeds hundreds every week. Sayville resident and volunteer Barbara Boerjes said the last few years have been the busiest the kitchen has seen in its 17-year run.

"The number of guests has increased due to financial difficulties. Today, more and more people are coming in," she said.

Find out what's happening in Sayville-Bayportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each night, the cook plans on preparing enough food for 40 people to enjoy a meal, but the kitchen recently served a record 57 people in one night, though Greco says that's unusual.

Despite its name, the soup kitchen rarely features soup as the main course of the night's menu.

"We always provide a full meal," Greco said. "I always say, 'we never serve soup!'"

Currently, the kitchen is operating with the use of an electric roasting pan, hot plate and a microwave.

How can you help?

Please make *payable/mail to:

*Having Friends INN

131 Middle Road

Sayville, NY 11782

Kitchen volunteers ask those who donate:

"Please be generous - we never know when we ourselves may need a helping hand."

Call (631) 589-1519 for more information.


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