When Lonnie Elder left rehab in September 2023, the Dix Hills resident wanted to make a lasting change in his life that would bring financial stability and set a good example for his three young children.

Elder, 34, said he had been battling substance abuse issues for the better part of a decade and working odd jobs. His addiction made it hard to hold onto anything long-term.

“I was really looking for something permanent,” he said.

So Elder enrolled in local food bank Island Harvest’s free 10-week Workforce Skills Development Institute, hoping to get back on his feet.

The training program is focused on warehouse jobs, an area of accelerated growth in recent years, and serves many Long Island residents who face barriers to employment. The program includes mock interviews, resume reviews and job coaching that continues for a full year after participants finish the program. Graduates also receive six certifications over the 10-week program, including OSHA safety and forklift operation certifications.

Elder graduated from the program in early December and now has a full-time job working in warehouse logistics at food distributor Sysco Corp., in Central Islip. 

“I’ve been able to make strides in my life that I only dreamed about,” he said.

Skills in demand

Stories like Elder’s are common for graduates of the Island Harvest training program, said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of the Melville-based food bank. Elder was among nine locals to graduate from Island Harvest’s sixth cohort of students last month.

“People say to me sometimes, ‘Island Harvest is a food bank, why are you doing a workforce development program?’” Dresner said. “If we can help people who are unemployed or underemployed find high-level skills training, secure certifications that, in our case specifically support the food industry, then we can really make a difference in someone’s life.”  

Employment in the warehousing and storage industry on Long Island has more than doubled over the past decade, from 1,559 in 2013 to 4,090 in 2023, as the move towards e-commerce from traditional brick-and-mortar retail has necessitated more warehouse space, said Shital Patel, a state labor economist.

The state projects the industry will add another 1,000 jobs over the next five years, Patel said.

The training program, launched in January 2023 and supported through a combination of charitable donations and grants, has graduated 57 students since its inception. The average employment rate among graduates is 66%, the food bank said. The nonprofit is currently working on expanding the program to include jobs in food and beverage service in 2025. Plans are also underway to build a training kitchen at its Melville facility for future students.

Maria Arianas, Island Harvest’s chief workforce development officer, said students in the program represent a wide swath of Long Islanders who face employment barriers, some of whom have gone through substance abuse programs or been involved in the criminal justice system. Others, she said, are single parents looking to break out of part-time, minimum-wage retail work or older residents in their 60s looking for a change.

“We try to reach the populations that are hard to reach,” said Arianas, adding that a lack of transportation is another employment barrier that many program participants face.

Trainees also receive weekly and biweekly stipends for transportation and other costs, such as groceries, rent and living expenses, she said. 

But the students in the program aren’t the only ones benefitting.

A win-win arrangement

The program has been a source of skilled workers for employers like DiCarlo Food Service of Holtsville.

“When Island Harvest approached me to be an employer partner within the Workforce Skills Development program, it was an easy decision and a perfect match,” said John Yancigay, vice president of operations at DiCarlo, a family-run food distributor founded in 1963. “Especially considering the way Island Harvest selects their candidates to ensure the less fortunate, employable people get the training they need and deserve to prosper in society.”

DiCarlo Food was among the first of Island Harvest’s 18 employer partners, which include companies such as Stop & Shop, Amazon and Food Authority. The company regularly offers its 200,000-square-foot warehouse facility for equipment and technology training as part of the program. 

“We have hired graduates right from the program and have been pleasantly surprised at the success and growth they have shown,” said Yancigay, who emphasized that it can be difficult to find applicants with the right skillset for warehouse work.

For Elder, who received his job offer from Sysco before even completing the program, Island Harvest’s workforce institute was an important stepping stone toward a brighter future. He makes $27 an hour at a Sysco warehouse as an order selector, operating an electric jack and going from aisle to aisle moving pallets of food goods for customers who buy in bulk, including schools and hospitals.

Next, he plans to apply for Opportunities Long Island, a pre-apprenticeship program designed to help Islanders pursue highly sought after careers in unionized trades.

After that, he wants to join a trade union as an apprentice and pursue a career as a plumber to achieve more financial stability for his family. Experienced plumbers earn an average of $109,957 a year, according to state Labor Department wage data. 

“It’s a great feeling to know that not only am I helping myself, but I’m helping those around me,” Elder said. “I just have to continue to find ways to beat the statistics every day, to continue doing the right thing and be the best role model for my children.”