Coram, NY – Volunteers of all ages met at the Coram Fire House on Thursday, February 12th to show appreciation from the community to local healthcare workers by making them Valentine’s Day cards. Over 40 volunteers made about 230 valentines from collage and art supplies collected by the community. Additionally, volunteers from Sun River Health and Cornell Cooperative Extension provided free diabetes screenings, diabetes/nutrition education and resources for those who attended.

These cards were delivered by Assemblywoman Kassay and chief of staff Emily Murphy to Sun River Health in Coram, Mather Northwell Hospital in Port Jefferson, St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, and Stony Brook University Children’s Hospital in Stony Brook. The healthcare professionals were tickled by the volunteers’ impressive art, kind words, and overall efforts.

About her February Monthly Mission, Assemblywoman Kassay shared, “It was a pleasure to sit down with volunteers– from students to retirees– to get creative making heartfelt valentines for our healthcare workers, showing how much we appreciate their work all year long. While chatting with groups of student volunteers from Longwood High School’s Interact and Honors Society Clubs, it was heartening to hear them acknowledge all the ways in which healthcare workers play a vital role in our local quality of life, making sure neighbors of all ages have the access to the routine and emergency care they need and deserve. Many thanks to Sun River Health and Cornell Cooperative Extension for providing free diabetes checks to local residents, as well as providing great resources on diabetes and nutrition education.”

Coram Fire Department Commissioner James Ambroise shared, “On behalf of the Coram Fire District, we were honored to host Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay for her February mission at our firehouse. This event was a meaningful opportunity to recognize and support the dedicated healthcare workers who serve our community every day. Their commitment, compassion, and resilience are vital to the well-being of our local communities, and we are proud to stand alongside Assemblywoman Kassay in acknowledging their invaluable contributions.”

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Linda Altenburger said, “The prevalence of diabetes on Long Island is a significant public health concern, with approximately 10% of Suffolk residents being diagnosed with the disease and many more have pre-diabetes and do not even know it. For this reason it is critical that the community receives science-based education surrounding identifying diabetes and pre-diabetes, how to best manage the disease through lifestyle behavior change for reduced costs, improved quality of life and reduction in complications. Our team of diabetes educators are here to help throughout the community and at Sun River Health Centers across Suffolk County.”

Attendees of the event also shared their thoughts:

Gail Lynch-Bailey of Middle Island said the event was, “A delightful and important evening for all ages. The free diabetes screening may well have saved someone's life. And it was so much fun making Thank You cards for the wonderful Healthcare workers in our community. I felt like a kid again!”

Chivaun Carter of Coram said, “It was encouraging to see an elected official taking the time to listen to residents’ voices and actively work toward positive change. I was especially glad to attend with my children, who are an 8th grader and an 11th grader in the Longwood School District. It was wonderful to see strong participation not only from younger students, but from our high school students as well.”

In an effort to bring residents together to serve their community, connect, and take part in hands-on projects that make a real difference in Assembly District 4, Assemblywoman Kassay has planned monthly mission opportunities throughout 2026. March’s Monthly Mission is transcribing local historical documents, photographs and more with local historical societies to preserve Long Island’s history for generations to come. This family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, 3/7 from 10:00am-1:00pm at the Emma Clark Library (120 Main St, Setauket, NY 11733). If you would like to attend this event, please visit our website at nyassembly.gov/kassay, or call our office at 631-751-3094.

Community members are encouraged to visit the Assemblywoman’s government website, call her office at 631-751-3094, or email kassayr@nyassembly.gov to sign up for her electronic newsletter and receive information about upcoming events and community updates.