Every year, orthodontists Leon Klempner, DDS, and David Amram, DMD, of Coolsmiles Orthodontics support the Long Island community with a food drive. This year, Coolsmiles will be working with Long Island Cares – The Harry Chapin Food Bank.

The Coolsmiles Team will be collecting nonperishable food items through January 15, 2010, at both Coolsmiles office locations in Medford, NY, and Port Jefferson, NY. Patients and their families can bring nonperishable food items to their orthodontic appointment during the next 6 weeks to help support the food drive.

Klempner has notified Coolsmiles patients and families about the food drive via Facebook, Twitter, and the Coolsmiles Blog, which includes a list of needed items.

“Anyone in the community can participate in our food drive,” Amram said. “We have containers located at each office. You can drop donations off anytime during office hours, and we will take care of getting the food and specialty items to Long Island Cares.”

“This has been a very rough year for many families all over the country. Our goal is to help families in our local area who are food challenged and need our help,” Klempner commented. “Every little bit counts … when we all work together as a community, we have the power to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate during these tough economic times.”

Founded in 1980 by the late singer, songwriter, and social activist Harry Chapin, Long Island Cares provides nutritional food and support services for a network of more than 540 community-based member agencies including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, child care programs, disability organizations, and veterans’ services. Long Island Cares has an annual distribution of nearly 6 million pounds of nutritional food warehoused in its 27,000-square-foot distribution center in Hauppauge, NY.