Locals come together to spread holiday cheer to neighbors in need

‘Tis the season for giving — and locals across Riverhead have been doing their part in the spirit of the holiday season. 

Here are some of the good deeds local residents and organizations have been doing: 

Riverhead Central Faculty Association and Riverhead High School students switched into high gear late last week to put together a “huge” delivery of toys to Riverhead Head Start so that each child served by Head Start could receive a Christmas gift, RCFA said in a press release.

The effort got underway when high school Cooking Club advisor Roberta MacGray saw a Facebook post Wednesday evening asking if anyone could help donate toys for the 3 and 4-year-olds at Head Start. MacGray immediately contacted Key Club advisor Garret Moore. 

Both the Riverhead High School Key Club and its Cooking Club make community service an integral part of their programs, with town cleanups, participation in cancer walks, annual blood drives, Thanksgiving meal baskets, and more, including the Cooking Club’s fundraising pancake breakfast and empty bowls events. 

Riverhead High School senior and Key Club member Haziel Hernandez Alvarez said, “The Key Club is always looking for opportunities to help the community, and once Mr. Moore told us about this situation, we said yes right away.” 

The conversation between the two club advisors quickly snowballed into an opportunity for service to the community, RCFA said.  By the end of the day Thursday, the classes of 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 joined the coalition.  Each organization was able to make a monetary donation to the toy drive.  The Riverhead Central Faculty Association stepped forward with a donation of matching funds.

“This all happened so quickly. It really just took on a life of its own,” MacGray said. “It is amazing how our school community comes together in times of need, time and time again,” she said.

“Our members, students, and families always rally for our community in times of need,” said RCFA 1st Vice President Jennifer Simões, “Riverhead is simply a big small town and Riverhead Central School District is a special place.  Our public schools truly are the heart of our community.” 

The Riverhead Rotary Club distributed 200 baskets full of holiday meals on Dec. 19 to local families in need. The Riverhead High School NJROTC and the high school’s Interact Club pitched in the labor needed to help fill the baskets with turkeys and sides; each family also received a poinsettia centerpiece. Families were selected in partnership with local houses of worship and food pantries.

ShopRite in Riverhead donated complete holiday meals for 15 families, in coordination with the Riverhead Police Benevolent Association, Riverhead Police school resource officers Eric Cohen and Kaley Constantine, and school district social workers. Store manager George Laezza and ShopRite team members filled grocery bags with large frozen turkeys and all the trimmings. The Riverhead PBA distributed the groceries to the families selected by social workers or the SROs Dec, 19 at the high school.

Earlier this month, Riverhead police officers sponsored “Shop with a Cop” at the Riverhead Target store, providing 30 kids in need with a $100 shopping spree. The event was funded by the Riverhead Police Benevolent Association and the Riverhead Superior Officers Association. Target hosted a pizza party for all participants after the fun. See prior story.

Riverhead Building Supply honors the memory of a beloved coworker, Rosemary Densieski, who died in a car accident in 2001 with the activities of a charitable organization founded in her name, Rose’s Care and Share. The organization fundraises to support its charitable giving, including adopting families in need in the Riverhead Central School District. 

Riverhead Building Supply’s Eric Goodale (dressed as Buddy the Elf), and the whole RBS team, share some holiday magic during the annual Rose’s Care and Share,  providing holiday gifts, coats, and emergency aid to local children and families in need.

Riverhead Rotary also donated toys and clothes for families in need, coordinated through the Riverhead elementary school teachers and social workers. They dropped off bags filled with toys and clothes for 100 children.

The Butterfly Effect Project Phillips Avenue Chapter wrote letters of holiday greeting to local military members spending the holidays far from home. 

Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski conducted his annual toy drive, donating 500 toys and games for local kids. See prior story.

Operation Veronica in Wading River has been busy collecting donations of supplies and sundries for deployed military personnel. See separate story.

In the spirit of the holiday season, the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club donated $22,700 to each of three  local breast-cancer charities:  the North Fork Breast Health Coalition, the Babylon Breast Coalition and Lucia’s Angels.

Peconic River Sportsman’s Club has held a “Take a Shot at Cancer” event for the last 11 years, contributing a total of more than $400,000 to charity. The fundraiser, held in September, features clay shooting for club members and the public. The proceeds of the annual event are traditionally distributed to cancer charities during a holiday party in December at the historic PRSC clubhouse.  

Church of the Harvest will once again open its doors to the community to enjoy a free breakfast at the church on Christmas morning.