Nobody Starves on Long Island: Helping Keep Pets Fed and Families Together

By Long Island Daily News Editor 

For Long Island families struggling to make ends meet, financial hardship can create an especially painful question: What happens when there is no longer enough money to feed or care for a beloved pet?

One local nonprofit is working to make sure families never have to face that decision alone.

Nobody Starves on Long Island, also known as NOSOLI, is a Long Island-based nonprofit dedicated to helping pets and the people who love them. With the motto “We Can Feed Them All,” the organization provides pet food, supplies and other forms of assistance to families experiencing financial hardship while also supporting feral cat caretakers, animal rescuers and other animal-welfare efforts across the Island.

The organization is a New York State nonprofit and has held 501(c)(3) charitable status since 2016. Its mission includes providing emergency assistance to families with pets, helping with pet food and veterinary expenses when possible, supporting feral cat colonies through food and Trap-Neuter-Return assistance, and helping animals that need to be rescued or placed into foster care. (Nobody Starves on Long Island⁠)

A Mission Born From Helping Animals in Crisis

Nobody Starves on Long Island was founded by Gary Kaufman, with Matthew Kaufman listed by the organization as co-founder. Gary Kaufman’s efforts to help Long Island’s animals grew significantly following Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

During the aftermath of the storm, Kaufman volunteered to distribute pet food to Long Islanders who were struggling. According to previous reporting, one of the people he encountered was a woman who had become so financially strained after Sandy that she was struggling to properly feed her pets.

What began as helping individual families grew into something much larger.

Kaufman began collecting and distributing pet food, helping locate lost animals and responding to requests from pet owners throughout Long Island. Eventually, those efforts developed into Nobody Starves on Long Island. (LI Press⁠)

Keeping Pets With the Families Who Love Them

The work addresses a problem that can easily remain hidden.

When a family experiences a job loss, unexpected bill or other financial emergency, pet expenses don’t disappear. Dogs and cats still need food. Some require prescription diets, medication or veterinary treatment.

For people already struggling financially, those costs can become overwhelming.

Nobody Starves on Long Island seeks to provide a safety net before hardship forces someone to surrender an animal they love.

The organization says its assistance can include pet food, veterinary bills, human supplies or basic financial assistance when appropriate. It also provides food and supplies to people caring for feral cat colonies and works with other animal-welfare and rescue organizations. (Nobody Starves on Long Island⁠)

The group’s impact has extended beyond individual pet owners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand increased as Long Islanders lost jobs and income. Kaufman told FOX 5 New York in 2020 that the organization was repeatedly replenishing its pet-food supply because so many people needed assistance. (FOX 5 New York⁠)

The organization has also stepped in when animals have faced dangerous circumstances. In one Middle Island case reported by News 12, a cat was discovered inside a taped-up box near a shopping center. The animal was taken into the care of someone associated with Nobody Starves on Long Island while efforts were made to find foster placement and ultimately a home. (News 12 - Default⁠)

Helping Beyond the Pet Pantry

Nobody Starves on Long Island’s mission extends beyond handing out bags of dog and cat food.

The organization assists feral cat colony caretakers with food, supplies and TNR efforts; supports other animal-welfare organizations; and, when an animal cannot safely remain in its current environment, works to rescue the animal and arrange foster care and adoption through rescue partnerships. (Nobody Starves on Long Island⁠)

The nonprofit has also participated in broader humanitarian efforts. In 2022, Nobody Starves on Long Island worked alongside New York State Sen. Mario Mattera’s office and the Kings Park Central School District during a donation drive supporting people and animals affected by the war in Ukraine. The organization collected pet supplies intended to help displaced animals. (NYSenate.gov⁠)

More recently, community fundraising has continued. A July 2026 fundraiser in Patchogue benefited Nobody Starves on Long Island’s pet pantry, with proceeds intended to help the organization provide pet food and supplies to Long Island families facing financial hardship. (Long Island Events⁠)

Community Support Makes the Mission Possible

Like many grassroots nonprofit organizations, Nobody Starves on Long Island depends heavily on community support.

Its work requires a steady supply of pet food, supplies and financial donations. Public tax records compiled by ProPublica show the organization reported approximately $169,000 in revenue for its 2024 fiscal year, all of it reported as contributions, demonstrating how important donors are to keeping the operation running. (ProPublica⁠)

Every donated bag or can of food can represent something much bigger to a family in need.

It can mean a senior citizen doesn’t have to sacrifice part of a limited grocery budget to feed a companion animal. It can help someone who has suddenly lost a job get through another week. It can help a feral cat caretaker continue feeding a colony. And sometimes, assistance can help prevent a family from having to surrender a pet simply because money has become tight.

That is what makes organizations like Nobody Starves on Long Island an important part of the community.

Animal rescue is often associated with shelters, adoptions and dramatic rescues. But sometimes saving an animal is much simpler: helping the family that already loves that animal keep it fed, healthy and at home.

For Nobody Starves on Long Island, that mission can be summed up in four words:

“We Can Feed Them All.”

Residents interested in learning more about the organization, requesting assistance, volunteering or making a donation can visit Nobody Starves on Long Island⁠.

Long Island Daily News highlights local organizations, volunteers and residents working to make a difference across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

For updates, subscribe to our free newsletter!

Support your local news!

More News from Mount Sinai

• NY Drivers Could Face License Renewal Problems as DMV Upgrade Unearths Old Traffic Violations NY Drivers Could Face License Renewal Problems as DMV Upgrade Unearths Old Traffic Violations
• Driver Arrested After Seriously Injuring Pedestrian in Motor Vehicle Crash in Patchogue A 24-year-old man from Patchogue was arrested Sunday morning after he allegedly struck a pedestrian while he was driving without a licenses.