Suffolk uses 311 phone line to provide residents with a food lifeline
A new Suffolk County program is helping bring food to those who cannot leave their homes. The Suffolk Cares program uses the county’s 311 line to assist residents who are in immediate need of food but don’t have access to a local food pantry. After an assessment is done by a 311 operator, a box containing several days’ worth of nonperishable food — such as pasta, sauce, fruit cups and canned tuna and chicken — from the nonprofit Long Island Cares is delivered within 24 to 30 hours. The county...