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Vol. 91 No. 2
JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
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Farm-to-truck food giveaways planned at church By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
Courtesy The Manna Project
The Long Island Cares Farm-to-Truck vehicle is set up for a community food distribution, offering fresh produce through its basket-style layout.
The Manna Project of Long Island, a food-relief nonprofit founded during the Covid-19 pandemic, is planning a farm-to-truck food distribution at Zion Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Freeport — an effort organizers hoped will become a monthly presence for residents facing food insecurity. Yvette Hester, The Manna Project’s founder and president, said her Nassau County-based organization has operated since 2020, expanding from a small, community-based food assistance service into a high-volume pantry model that connects families with both groceries and support services. Describing the group’s approach as broader than a traditional pantry model, Hester said The Manna Project could also connect residents with housing resources and other forms of assistance. “We’re a food pantry,” Hester said. “We not only ConTInued on page 12
Sparkle on Stage launches push to buy Mile building By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
For over four years, the Sparkle on Stage Cultural Arts Center has carved out a rare cultural space on Freeport’s Nautical Mile, hosting everything from live music and theater to spoken-word and drag performances, student showcases and community conversations. Now the organization is tryi n g t o e n s u re t h at s p a c e remains a fixture in the village by purchasing the building at 195 Woodcleft Ave. that it now leases from its owner GroGrove Realty Group. Sparkle on Stage owner
Robyn Workman said the effort to buy the building is as much about preservation as ownership. “It’s a community cultural arts center,” Workman said. “We offer the space at reasonable rates to other nonprofits, to high school students, and we work with the children of the community. I don’t want to see our space become another bar or another restaurant.” Workman said there are few venues like Sparkle on Stage nearby, let alone on the Nautical Mile, and that the diversity of programming is intentional. Over the past year alone, the venue has hosted high school
bands, tribute concerts, original theater productions, multigenerational community events and more. “There’s not really another space like ours for miles and miles and miles,” she said. “We serve a specific and unique experience — not just for Freeport, but for surrounding communities as well.” The push to purchase the building comes as Sparkle on Stage continues to gain recognition across Long Island. The venue was recently named a top-five finalist in the Long Island Choice Awards in the small theater category, with voting on the winner set to
begin Jan. 22. The nomination, Workman said, came as a surprise. “I don’t even know who put us up for the vote,” she said. “But it shows the support we have.” Sparkle on Stage has become a regular stop for touring and local performers alike. It has hosted recent events ranging
from yacht rock concerts to theatrical concerts like The Wizard of Oz in Concert to artist networking nights hosted by the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport. Proceeds from several of those shows have supported Sparkle’s #HomeForSparkle campaign, the fundraising initiative tied to the building purConTInued on page 10