Port Jefferson Station, NY – Neighbors spread more than love as they volunteered to combat food insecurity at Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay’s October Monthly Mission: Over 50 volunteers made and packed 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Throughout the month of October, the Assemblywoman’s office hosted a Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive, resulting in over 400 jars– more than 540lbs– of peanut butter and jelly collected. A strong team of community partners throughout Assembly District Four provided drop-off locations and increased awareness, including Long Island Youth Development’s Outreach Club, Comsewogue Public Library, Port Jefferson Free Library, Middle Country Public Library, and the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook. Harry Janson II of Janson Supermarkets LLC, Howard Aron of Pepperidge Farm, and Michael Braitman of Arnold® Premium Breads generously donated bread for the sandwiches. Long Island Harvest provided gloves, and Long Island Youth Development’s Outreach Club and Art Club coordinated the note station.

A portion of the donations were utilized by community volunteers to craft hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which were donated to organizations helping to fight food insecurity in the community including Pax Christi Hospitality Center, Light House Mission, and Hub of HELP. In addition to making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, volunteers of all ages took up crayons and markers to write kind and encouraging notes and illustrations that were sent along with each sandwich. All remaining unopened jars of peanut butter, jelly, and bread were donated to Agape Meals for Kids to support their mission to feed children in local school districts over the weekends and breaks during the school year.

About her October Monthly Mission, Assemblywoman Kassay shared, “The incredible outcome of the PB&J drive and sandwich event are thanks to countless local individuals and families invested in the fight against local food insecurity. Neighbors of all ages showed up with big hearts and helping hands, making for an unforgettable evening in our community.”

Irene Michalos Founder and Executive Director of Agape Meals for Kids shared, “It was wonderful to see so many hands and hearts come together for this project. Assemblywoman Kassay and her team brought kindness, generosity, and true community spirit to life, reminding families and kids in our community who need a little extra support right now, that they're not alone, and that compassion really does make a lasting difference.”

Lynn Guan, Jie Yang and Yanping Yu from the Long Island Youth Development shared, “Our Community Outreach Club and Art Club were honored to be part of Assemblywoman’s October Mission. Being there, seeing so many volunteers and community members, we realized the importance of character in representation; Rebecca’s genuine service impacted countless students and families. Thank you for showing us that determination, service and kindness rise above party lines. We support Rebecca in her wonderful work in our community and look forward to participating in the next Event.” 

Some of the youth from Long Island Youth Development shared about their experiences as well: Rachel said, “Helping make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for people in need was so fun! Everyone was laughing and working together, and it felt really good to help others. We also wrote nice, positive messages to go with the sandwiches so people would smile when they got them. Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay was super kind and made the whole event really exciting. I liked seeing how a small thing, like making a sandwich, can make someone’s day better. It made me feel happy inside knowing I was helping. I would definitely want to do something like that again!”

Cindy shared, “I appreciated the honor to attend this peanut butter and jelly event to help kids in need. It was a pleasure being a representative for LIYD and I loved the people and the message that was being sent. I love meetings and clubs like these because they don’t just help kids in need, they also bring communities together to help change problems within. I saw a lot of familiar faces and met even more, many of the new people I met were really nice and welcoming and I hope to attend one of these meetings again!”

In an effort to bring residents together to serve their community, connect, and take part in hands-on projects that make a real difference in Assembly District 4, Assemblywoman Kassay has planned monthly missions from September to December, with plans to continue in 2026. November’s mission features a community beautification project planting over 1,000 daffodil bulbs at the Veterans Park in Selden in partnership with Town of Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella’s office and Old Town Blooms. This mission takes place on November 15th from 9:00am-11:00am at Veterans Park at Hemlock Street and Boyle Road, Selden NY 11784. 

December’s mission will feature a partnership with the American Red Cross to help install smoke detectors and provide home safety checks for residents across Assembly District 4 who have signed up to receive the service with the American Red Cross. If you or someone you know would like to sign up to receive this service, please visit their Web site. Volunteers are asked to join the office in installing these smoke detectors and helping document the visits on Saturday, December 6th from 9am-3pm starting at the Middle Country Public Library's Selden Building. Due to the nature of this mission, any volunteer under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and will be asked to do tasks on site. No experience or equipment required; training will be provided by the American Red Cross on site in the morning.

Community members are encouraged to visit the Assemblywoman’s government website, call her office at 631-751-3094, or email kassayr@nyassembly.gov to sign up for her electronic newsletter and receive information about upcoming events and community updates.