Community Garden Providing To Those In Need On Long Island

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island farm is filled with a fall harvest that's all for a good cause.

Thousands of pounds of fresh produce are donated to the needy as the holiday season begins, CBS2's Reena Roy reported Tuesday.

Walking row after row through almost two acres of organic goodness, it's a community garden filled with an array of colorful fall fruits and veggies ready for picking.

Volunteers have already harvested about 4,000 pounds of produce since June with Island Harvest Food Bank at a Brentwood Road farm owned by the Sisters of Saint Joseph.

When asked how it feels to know this is someone's dinner they're helping provide, farm volunteer Vernon Cozier said, "It feels great. It's giving back."

All the food is given directly to people who need it most, like single mother of two Flor Cruz.

"Peppers and tomatoes, cucumbers, it's delicious. It's very delicious because it's coming fresh," Cruz said.

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The produce is picked fresh from the farm and placed on trucks before being delivered to about 400 food pantries across Long Island, CBS2's Roy reported.

"We're touching lives of people all across Long Island because we're able to produce fresh produce and give it out into the community. We have some 300,000 people who are struggling with food insecurity here on Long Island," said Randi Shubin Dresner, CEO and president of Island Harvest Food Bank.

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The service is especially important with the holidays just around the corner.

"It's just a great way to remind people about the need in the community and how we can make a difference and help people," Shubin Dresner said.

Because although it's late in the harvest season, it's never too late to lend a helping hand.

Volunteers said crops are slowing down, but there are still plenty more fall root vegetables to pick and donate.