On Long Island, nobody starves thanks to Gary Kaufman.
Kaufman has been saving animal lives since he was a kid, and in 2012, he delivered supplies to families with cats, dogs, and other animals after Hurricane Sandy devastated the Northeast. Once he started helping animals and their families with food donations, he continued on, believing, “We Can Feed Them All”.
And in 2016, those words became the official motto for his animal charity and rescue group, Nobody Starves on Long Island.
And he means it too, telling Newsday, “Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, whatever you’re feeding over there, I’m going to help you somehow.”
Kaufman lines his driveway with bags upon bags of donated food. Then, he takes to social media to alert followers what’s available, encouraging those in need come get the food for their hungry furballs.
Nobody Starves on Long Island “We Can Feed Them All “/Facebook
In addition to feeding animals, he’s making sure they get proper medical care too.
For low-income households with animals needing veterinary assistance, Kaufman sets up fundraising pages to help get them back on their paws. On his 2-acre property, he also has an animal shelter set up for stray cats and dogs. There, they wait for their forever homes while enjoying heated floors, air conditioning, and television. These critters have the ultimate set-up!
Kaufman and his volunteers also help feral cat communities, as well as injured and abused animals.
All the way around, the animals of Long Island have a friend in Gary Kaufman.
An Already Overwhelming Task Grows Harder under a Pandemic
With the recent coronavirus pandemic hitting the world hard, the residents of Long Island are seeing hard times. Between seniors who can’t leave the house for illness worries to families without the income to buy food for furry family members, Kaufman is working double-time, and then some, to be sure everybody gets fed.
In a Facebook fundraiser to raise money for COVID-19 relief, Gary wrote, “Since the start of this crazy virus the demand for help with food and emergency medical has increased 4 times over our normal.”
Nobody Starves on Long Island “We Can Feed Them All “/Facebook
Nobody Starves on Long Island has never refused or turned anyone away and Kaufman doesn’t plan to start now. He and volunteers are taking donations and still collecting food amid the threat of COVID-19. Local shelters, like Last Chance Rescue, and food maker, Blue Buffalo, have donated food to his initiative as well.
It’s not just companion animals keeping their bellies full thanks to Nobody Starves. Thanks to Kaufman’s partnership with Island Harvest Food Bank, the animals of wildlife rescues and farms are receiving viable produce that otherwise would have been tossed.
In an effort to say thank you, Kaufman also encourages medical staff, first responders, and those working the front lines to pick up food too.
We’re all in this together and Nobody Starves on Long Island is reminding folks that it includes cats and dogs too!
H/T: www.newsday.com
Feature Image: Gary Kaufman/Facebook & @animalrescueli/Instagram
Toledo, United States.
