Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank: How to Get Food

Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank says in its own words that you do not have to prove your income to get food.

✓ Checked Sep 9, 2026 Hauppauge, NYOfficial page ↗
Proof of income
Not required
Cost
See below
Hands out food
Yes, directly
Hours
Published
see “When is it open”
You do not have to prove you are poor
'Anyone experiencing food insecurity on Long Island may be eligible for assistance.' At Long Island Cares' own pantries no proof of income is required - the FAQ says so directly: 'Long Island Cares' food pantries do not require proof of income to receive food assistance. However, some member agencies that are partnered with Long Island Cares may ask for identification or proof of income.' So the food bank's own six pantries are the safest bet if you have no papers. Immigration status is not mentioned on the page.

Do I have to prove my income to get food from Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank?

Quoted in full in the green box above.

How do I actually get food from Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank?

Two routes: go to one of Long Island Cares' own pantries (listed with addresses and hours on licares.org/find-food/), or use the Food Finder tool on the same page - enter your ZIP code and choose Nassau or Suffolk food pantries or soup kitchens within a radius you pick. Mobile food programs bring groceries and meals to communities for people who cannot travel to a pantry. There are also senior nutrition, veterans, children's and pet food (Baxter's Pet Pantry) programmes. General line: 631-582-FOOD (3663). The site has an En Espanol version.

When is Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank open?

Its own pantries, from the official page: Bethpage (386 N. Wantagh Ave.), Hampton Bays (286 West Montauk Highway), Huntington Station (220 Broadway) and Lindenhurst (163-1 North Wellwood Avenue) - Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 3:30 pm; Bethpage, Hampton Bays and Huntington Station close for lunch noon to 12:30 pm, Valley Stream (241 Rockaway Ave) is M-F 9:00 am-3:30 pm and closes 12:30-1:00 pm. Freeport (23 East Sunrise Highway): Mondays 11:00am-3:30pm, Tuesdays to Fridays 9:00am-3:30pm, with Grab & Go bags from 2:30pm, and Thursdays Grab & Go only 10:00am-3:30pm. Baxter's Pet Pantry, Lindenhurst: Monday and Wednesday to Friday 9:00 am-1:30 pm, by appointment only. On the third Thursday of each month the pantries close at 12pm for staff training (a few dates are full-day closures, listed on the page). Member agency hours are in the Food Finder.

Does Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank cost anything?

Free. No fee or donation is mentioned for receiving food.

What do I need to bring?

Nothing required at Long Island Cares' own pantries - no proof of income. Some member agencies may ask for identification or proof of income, so call the agency first.

Where Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank works

Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York (Long Island). It runs its own pantries and partners with over 340 food assistance agencies. Headquarters: 10 Davids Drive (Harry Chapin Way), Hauppauge, NY 11788-2039.

Worth knowing before you go

Tuesdays are Military Appreciation Tuesdays, reserved for veterans, active duty personnel and their families. Baxter's Pet Pantry is appointment-only (first 9:00am, last 1:30pm). Visit limits are not stated.

For more than this week

A pantry covers today. SNAP covers the month, and in New York the application is the state's own. SNAP in New York

Other food banks in NY

Each one covers different counties, so if Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank does not reach where you live, one of these probably does.

All food banks

Read on licares.org on Sep 9, 2026. We do not copy opening hours from other sites, because a wrong hour sends someone on a wasted trip. Last review Sep 9, 2026.

Checked by the PocketBoosters team against the official source. How we check this →