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MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
Vol. 28 No. 10
Protecting ‘animals in need’ Nonprofit rescued more than 100 ducks in TOH last year — 20 in W.H. By NAkEEM GRANt ngrant@liherald.com
Courtesy LION
JoHN DI lEoNARDo, president of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, rescued an abandoned duck at Hall’s Pond Park, which he named Little Boy, in January.
With spring just over two weeks away, the domestic duck-dumping season has begun in the Town of Hempstead. Activists with Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, also known as LION, an animal advocacy nonprofit, rescued more than 100 domestic ducks that were abandoned in the township last year, including about 20 in West Hempstead. “We’ve taken it upon ourselves to visit Hall’s Pond Park a few times a week just to look around
there, because it’s such a common dumping site — more so in recent years,” said LION’s founder and president, John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. The rescuees in West Hempstead have included ducks with broken wings, leg injuries, bacterial infections, vitamin deficiencies, fishing hooks lodged in their beaks, missing molts, mutilated beaks and other health issues. Many more died before the group could rescue them, Di Leonardo, of Malverne, said. And there are still more domesContinued on page 11
Malverne churchgoers hold 10th annual food drive By RoNNy REyES rreyes@liherald.com
For the past decade, Rob and Mary Hallam, congregants of the Community Presbyterian Church in Malverne, have collected thousands of food items for their annual People’s Food Drive to benefit the Long Island Council of Churches’ food pantry, in Freeport. Last year, the Hallams, who live in Lynbrook, were fortunate enough to collect donations before the coronavirus pandemic all but shut down the county, but, as Rob, 59, put it, they “never stopped helping after the food drive was over.”
As the pandemic devastated people’s finances and food insecurity spread across Long Island, the LICC pantry saw demand grow every day, and the Hallams were there to help in any way they could, raising funds and securing a new refrigerator for the facility. This year, they have had to adapt to a new normal as they stage their 10th annual People’s Food Drive through the end of March. “The need has never been greater, and we need to do what we can to help,” Rob said. “But we’re facing some new challenges that have changed everything.” The biggest setback has been
the lack of access to crowds and gatherings. Rob explained that the biggest strength of the food drive was the community’s involvement in filling collection boxes in front of businesses, restaurants, schools and recreation centers across the South Shore. But many businesses are working remotely, and restaurants and schools can no longer accommodate the collection boxes. The only exceptions are Hallam’s office, Nassau Shades & Blinds, at 211 Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook; his employer’s office, Nassau Door & Window, at 487 W. John St. in Hicksville; and Jeremy’s Ale House, at 239 Woodcleft Ave. in Freeport.
While this poses a monumental challenge, the Hallams have looked to the Internet for help. Once again, Rob Maeurer, of Elmont, has helped create a GoFundMe page for the People’s Food Drive. The goal is to raise $5,000, with all proceeds going to purchase food to donate to the LICC pantry. “I figured that there would be
people who wanted to give but may not be able to go out to the drop-off locations,” Maeurer said, “so now they can donate money for us to purchase food with.” The Hallams also created a wish list on Amazon, where people can find items to buy for the pantry. Continued on page 4