Mangano: Giving The Gift Of Life And Shelter This Holiday Season

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced today the launch of two new Nassau County initiatives – The Yellow Dot Program and The Vial of Life Program. The Yellow Dot Program will assist in lifesaving measures involving victims of automobile accident. A Yellow Dot in the rear window of a vehicle will alert First Responders arriving at an auto accident that vital information is contained in the glove compartment of the vehicle. This information can assist medical and emergency personnel during the first critical minutes, “The Golden Hour,” after a crash. The Yellow Dot program is a cooperative effort involving the Nassau County Police Department, the Emergency Ambulance Bureau and local fire departments. This program is presented as a compliment to the Nassau County Vial of Life Project, which similarly assists during emergencies at the home.

County Executive Mangano stated, “Nassau County offers several free programs to help seniors in time of emergency. From the Yellow Dot program to the Vial of Life, Nassau County is dedicated to protecting the lives of all those who helped build our communities.”

In addition to announcing these two new life savings programs, County Executive Mangano was joined by members’ of the Nassau County Investigators Police Benevolent Association (IPBA) in their presentation of a holiday donation of $2,500 to the Mary Brennan Interfaith Nutrition Network (The INN). The INN will utilize the funding to help support veterans at their Crisis Housing Program. This vital program ensures that those who are in need of a warm safe Emergency Shelter receive it and unfortunately demand is significantly greater in this area this year and it would make a tremendous difference for The INN in assuring that they are able to meet this growing demand for services.

“It is always wonderful to see the community rally behind a local grass-roots organization that does so much for our residents,” said County Executive Mangano. “I thank the members of IPBA for making this donation that will help make the holiday season so much brighter for those in need.”

“It is too often forgotten that our Veterans are responsible for protecting our most treasured privilege, freedom. The Nassau County Investigator’s PBA, as a single entity and as members of the larger law enforcement community, never take for granted that it is the membership of America’s Armed Forces that keep us safe and keep us a nation of free people. We consider it no less an honor and privilege to take this opportunity to help a veteran in need,” said Mike Falzarano, President of IPBA.

“The INN is truly grateful to the leadership and members of the Nassau County Investigators Police Benevolent Association for this very generous donation. It is yet another demonstration of what this caring and committed group is able to do on top of their important work to make a difference for the most vulnerable members of our community. The funding will be utilized for The Catherine Martin INN’s Program ensuring that all single male veterans who are in need are provided a safe, dignified place to sleep and eat and enable each guest to access resources to overcome the challenges that have led them to rely on assistance for these vital and most basic necessities,” said Joseph Barry, Director of Fundraising at The INN.

About The INN:

The INN was founded in 1983 as a single soup kitchen run by a small group of concerned volunteers. Working at a church in Hempstead, the volunteers discovered that not only were there large numbers of hungry people on Long Island, but that individuals working together could make a difference in their lives. Soon after the Hempstead soup kitchen began operations, others opened in Long Beach, Freeport and Central Islip. Today, there are a total of 19 soup kitchens, operating as part of The INN’s network across Long Island and more than 7,500 people are fed each week. The INN has grown to become the largest private social service agency of its kind on Long Island. Anyone who comes to The INN’s soup kitchens receives a hot, nutritious meal, a warm welcome and access to whatever additional support services are available.

The volunteers soon found that dealing with hunger was only one of the problems facing the soup kitchen guests. Many of the children and adults who visited The INN were also homeless. The INN responded to this problem by opening its first emergency shelter in 1984. The INN began to plan and institute a series of wide-ranging programs to help people from all over Long Island who were plagued by hunger and homelessness. The story continues, almost thirty years later, with soup kitchens, emergency shelters and a long-term housing program. The INN is a working model of how to unite the community to overcome the challenge of hunger and homelessness, here on Long Island.

About the Nassau County IPBA:

Nassau County District Attorney Investigators come from a prestigious list of local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies. Collectively, these Investigators have a combined total of over 1000 years’ experience as law enforcement officers, and have attended numerous professional law enforcement academies, schools, colleges, and training programs, from some of the nation’s premier law enforcement agencies. Individually, each Investigator possesses, on average, 25 years to 35 years of experience. The result is the appointment of an extremely educated, highly trained, motivated and experienced Investigator, who is immediately prepared to assume the task of conducting sophisticated law enforcement assignments. An asset to the District Attorney’s Office, and the people of Nassau County.