OUR SPONSOR
Greater Patchogue coverage is funded in part by New Village at Patchogue, open-concept rental residences with sleek contemporary design. Click here
for a tour.
For nearly a decade, Debbie Loesch has been the one Long Islanders turn to in times of crisis.
Through the nonprofit she founded, Angels of Long Island, Debbie and her small team have delivered food, clothing, furniture, holiday gifts and comfort to thousands of neighbors from their Patchogue outreach center — and before that, right from her Bellport living room.
Now, she’s the one in need.
Her organization, which started in 2015 as a Facebook group to help a single struggling family, has grown into a full-scale operation serving both Suffolk and Nassau counties. But rising costs for rent, utilities, and supplies have pushed the Angels to the brink.
To keep the lights on, community member Ronald Uli has launched a new fundraising effort called Give Debbie a Dollar.
“We’re asking each and every Long Islander to give just $1 — or more if you can — to help Debbie and the Angels of Long Island continue their mission,” Uli wrote on the group’s GoFundMe page. “It may seem small, but together those single dollars can add up to a miracle for neighbors in need.”
The math is simple: nearly 3 million people live in Nassau and Suffolk counties. If everyone pitched in just one dollar, the Angels could raise close to $3 million to keep serving families in crisis.
Debbie knows how much that kind of support can mean. In 2016, she told Greater Long Island that her vision was simple — “neighbors helping neighbors.” Back then, she and her daughter Brittany had just turned a one-time act of kindness into a Facebook group of 200 friends. Within months, that group had exploded to over 60,000 members rallying to help strangers in need.
From there came the thrift shop and outreach center in Patchogue, and later the free general store in Mastic — which brought relief to countless families, but also contributed to financial strain when the group could no longer sustain it.
Still, the Angels have never stopped working to “empower people to overcome poverty and hardship,” Debbie says, and to bring back the spirit of looking out for each other.
Now, she’s hoping the community she’s spent years helping will return the favor.
Those looking to donate can visit the official GoFundMe page here:
Photo: Debbie Loesch at the Angels of Long Island shop and outreach center at 350-23 E Main St. in Patchogue in 2021. (courtesy file photo)
