On July 30 at 5 p.m., Harmony Café will be hosting a fundraiser at the HOG Farm to raise money for the numerous programs they run for those in need. The Hog Farm is based out of Brookhaven and is built on the ideal of community-shared agriculture. Since the farm relies on a community, they give back by hosting various events.

“We try to do different events throughout the season to get people down to the farm. [We] want to get as many people as possible out in the open air, in nature, [and] educated on environmental issues and the importance of eating locally,” said Lauren Napoli, who is coordinating the event along with Rosemarie McCarthy, founder of Harmony Café. “We’re lucky to have this space and we want to share it with as many people as possible.”

Harmony Café is a nonprofit in Patchogue dedicated to providing food and nutrition to homeless and low-income people.

“We serve healthy meals by donation,” explained McCarthy. The organization has implemented a pay-what-you-can model, so no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

They have recently extended their venture to education on nutrition with a new wellness Feast Program.” Staying true to their mission, the 10- to 12-week program is geared at low-income people, as well as those with chronic diseases. The program will meet once a week, and include food demos and group support. There will be about a dozen people per class. Harmony Café’s certified instructors will give out healthy food.

The classes so far have received very positive feedback. Surveys show participants had improved health mentally and emotionally, lost weight, or improved eating habits, said McCarthy.

However, the program comes with a cost for the organization since they supply food and teachers. In order to sustain their good deeds, the nonprofit relies on donations, and for this event in particular the fundraising goal is $10,000, which will go towards funding the new program and the café they hope to build where they can provide healthy food to anyone in need.