Interfaith Nutrition Network reaps $1M grant

The Interfaith Nutrition Network will be the recipient of a $1 million grant from the Town of Hempstead to assist the nonprofit in fighting hunger and homelessness on Long Island.

The money, which comes through the town from the federal CARES Act, will also go towards implementing COVID-19 safety measures, including securing more personal protective equipment. Since the pandemic hit, The INN has gone through more than 1,800 masks, 615 pairs of gloves and 140 bottles of hand sanitizer every week to ensure safety for both employees and clients at its soup kitchens and food pantries.

The INN, which operates the Mary Brennan INN soup kitchen in Hempstead among others, estimates it will have served more than 200,000 balanced meals and more than 5,500 pantry bags by the end of this year as a result of the pandemic.

Founded in 1983 as a single soup kitchen run by a small group of concerned volunteers, The INN, a volunteer-based nonprofit, has grown to deliver its services through 14 soup kitchens in 21 locations, three homeless shelters, and a Long Term Housing Program consisting of 20 housing units for families and housing for up to seven veterans.