Panera Bread in East Meadow will host its third annual “Take a Bite out of Hunger” food collection drive this month in support of Island Harvest, Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization.
From Monday, Sept. 17 through Friday, Sept. 21, Panera Bread is collecting donations of non-perishable food items to Island Harvest by providing guests who drop off one or more can or box before 11 a.m. with a free grilled breakfast sandwich of their choice. The offer is valid at all 22 Long Island Panera Bread bakery-cafes.
“Last year, we grilled up over 3,000 free Grilled Breakfast Sandwiches and collected over 4,500 pounds of food to help Island Harvest provide critical food support for Long Island’s hungry,” said Greg George, Vice President of Operations for Doherty Enterprises, franchisee for the Long Island Panera Bread bakery-cafes, in a statement. “Year round we package up and donate the bread, bagels, and pastries that remain on our shelves at end of the day to help Island Harvest. During ‘Take a Bite out of Hunger,’ we invite our guests to help, too with canned goods and other non-perishables.”
"For over a decade, Panera Bread has been a valued partner helping Island Harvest address the critical issue of hunger right here on Long Island," Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest, added. "Panera's generosity, along with that of their guests, has helped make a positive impact among the 285,000 men, women and children in our communities who know the effects of hunger firsthand—and, for that we are grateful."
