Hempstead, N.Y. - On August 30, the Adelphi University women's basketball team volunteered at The INN, a local soup kitchen.

A total of 19 soup kitchens operate as part of The INN's network across Long Island. According to The INN webiste, more than 7,500 people are fed each week. From a vision and determination of a small group of dedicated volunteers, The INN has grown to become the largest private social service agency of its kind on Long Island.

The girls took part in sorting the food that was in the stock rooms by category so the items would then be distributed to the people in the dining rooms. Some girls also organized the clothing by size and gender so that when the people came through, it would be just as if they were walking through a store. “It felt so nice to see the gratitude on this one lady's face after we handed her four bags filled with food for her and her children,” said junior Melanie O'Brien.

Toni Ebron, Volunteer Project Manager at The INN, mentioned how great it was to have the girls' helping hands. “I really appreciated the girls coming together and working towards servicing the less fortunate,” Ebron stated. Whether on the court or the soup kitchen, teamwork was put into effect on Thursday afternoon to benefit those in the Long Island community.

Courtesy of Samantha Perez of Adelphi University women's basketball