This overarching Food Security priority aims to promote health equity by providing healthy food and nutrition education across food programs, recognizing that food insecurity is associated with poorer health outcomes and higher probability of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. The F4H initiative includes bilingual nutrition workshops, health screenings, diet-specific food bags and recipes, and more.

Our Fresh Bounty and Full Cupboard Pantry empower clients to select their own foods, minimizing waste and accommodating dietary and cultural preferences. Client choice fosters dignity, self-esteem, and builds trust within our community. Distribution hours: Monday and Friday 9AM-12PM, with evening hours on Tuesdays 3PM-6PM to better serve working families.  CAST always accommodates families unable to make it during formal distribution.

We deliver food, fresh produce, personal care items, and household essentials, along with critical information and services, to homebound residents and those facing transportation challenges in rural Southold Town and Shelter Island.

In 2022, CAST launched its Mobile Food Pantry & Resource Center Satellite on Shelter Island, a practical food distribution method combined with individual case management enabling CAST to expand its reach to underserved populations on the rural East End of Long Island. CAST also operates a satellite location at the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Library.

During school closures and breaks, CAST provides healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks for children who rely on free or reduced-price meals at school. FAK keeps children in our community food secure and is an opportunity to instill healthy eating habits to prevent future diet-related diseases. CAST provided FAK meals to 642 children in 2023.

CAST collaborates with its partners to provide turkeys or chickens and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving Meal to hundreds of local families across the North Fork and Shelter Island. During the 2023 holiday season, CAST provided Thanksgiving meals to 458 local families.

CAST partners with 26 local farms to provide an abundance of fresh produce to low-income residents who would not otherwise have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. We provided underserved community members with $149,253 in fresh local produce in 2023.

Thanks to generous donors, Gert’s Greens helps CAST purchase additional produce, particularly high-demand items not often donated. This initiative supports local farmers by partnering with five local farms and ensures our community has access to fresh, nutritious food.

CAST accepts and distributes prepared food from local stores and restaurants avoiding food waste. We also partner with Food Rescue US-Suffolk County, Island Harvest Food Bank, Long Island Cares Food Bank, and Food Donation Connections to broaden our network of participants. CAST collected over $200,000 in food rescue items in 2023.

A Food for Health partnership with Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital (SBELIH) and Northwell Health Peconic Bay Medical Center (NHPBMC) to provide bilingual nutrition workshops and health screenings. Outpatients or discharged patients facing food insecurity from SBELIH and NHPBMC are referred to CAST, with a physician-recommended diet when appropriate.