Gathering of Light

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From Homelessness to Home: How Gathering of Light Helps Long Island Families Begin Again

GOL Starter Packs

Direct, Meaningful Support for Long Island's homeless families

For someone experiencing homelessness, getting a place to live is an enormous step—but it is only the beginning.

Imagine finally receiving the keys to a new apartment, only to realize that you have no pots or pans to cook with, no dishes to eat from, no towels for the bathroom, and no linens for the bed.

These may seem like small things, but when you are starting over, basic household necessities can make the difference between simply having a place to stay and truly beginning to feel at home.

Homelessness on Long Island Is More Than a Lack of Shelter

Homelessness affects families and individuals throughout Long Island. Many people who have experienced homelessness eventually reach a point where they are ready to move from a shelter or temporary housing into a permanent home.

But the transition can be financially overwhelming.

Government assistance and housing programs may help people secure a place to live, yet they do not necessarily provide the everyday household items needed to establish that home. Gathering of Light describes this gap as a very real challenge for families moving out of shelters.

The Gathering of Light Starter Pack Program

Since 2001, Gathering of Light has made its Starter Pack Program one of its most important service missions. The program works with local homeless agencies and foster-care organizations to help people who are preparing to move into permanent housing.

The program has already delivered hundreds of Starter Packs, and by the end of 2025, Gathering of Light reports that it had prepared and delivered more than 100 Starter Packs to families in need. The program has also expanded its outreach to young people who have aged out of foster care.

What Is a Starter Pack?

The Starter Pack is designed around the actual needs of the individual or family receiving it.

Depending on the family's circumstances, a pack may include:

Pots and pans

Plates and cutlery

Glasses and mugs

Kitchen utensils

Towels

Blankets and bed linens

Cleaning supplies

Other household necessities

Gathering of Light combines new and gently used items, allowing donated resources to become practical tools for people beginning again.

It's More Than a Box of Household Items

The heart of the Starter Pack Program is not the merchandise.

It is the message behind it.

A family moving out of homelessness is being told:

“You deserve a home.”
“You deserve to have the things you need.”
“Your community cares about your new beginning.”

Gathering of Light volunteers don't simply collect items and put them in boxes. The organization works directly with agencies and families to determine their specific needs and moving dates. Volunteers then assemble and deliver the appropriate Starter Pack.

That personal approach helps make the assistance meaningful rather than generic.

OUR PROCESS

As word of our mission spread, local homeless agencies and foster care organizations began contacting us directly. The Starter Pack Volunteer Coordinator works with the agency and family to determine the specific needs (for example, infant bedding and feeding utensils), moving dates, etc.

Behind the scenes, we have a highly organized and attentive inventory manager, who makes sure our stock is replenished when items run low. Generous donations from the Gathering, its members and friends support us in the endeavor.

Our volunteers then assemble and deliver the Starter Packs, which consist of both new and gently used merchandise. Each pack includes household essentials such as pots/pans, cutlery/dishes, glasses/mugs, kitchen utensils, towels, blankets/linens and cleaning supplies (click this FORM or see the image).

“It is not just a Mission, it is Compassion.”

DONATE NOW

Please visit and support our

GoFundMe Page

Please visit and support our

GoFundMe Page

Our immediate goal is to expand our services to additional shelters that house families and individuals in need. But as poverty and homelessness on Long Island rises, and increasing numbers of children age out of the foster care system, demand for the Gathering of Light's Starter Pack Program is growing steadily, and we need additional funding and donors to meet that demand.