Long Island State Veterans Home and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Receive PPE from Unexpected Source

STONY BROOK, NY, April 10, 2020 — Commercial painters have long used N95 respirator masks so they don’t breathe in aerosolized paint fumes and sanding particles. Now, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, health workers are in desperate need for these masks to keep them safe. The Long Island State Veterans Home (LISVH) at Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, both on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 virus, will benefit from the generosity of The Aboff Family, owners of Aboff’s Paint Stores, who after combing their stores for these supplies, are helping to meet the need by donating 4,240 N95 masks to both institutions; 17,000 overall to hospital networks across Long Island and EMS outlets in Amagansett and Huntington.

“The donation was a lifesaver,” said Fred Sganga, Executive Director of LISVH. “Securing PPE for my staff has been our number one priority. We refuse to send our staff into battle without the proper protection. Aboff Paints stepped up to the plate when we needed it the most.”

Sganga is a neighbor of Rod Aboff, who after speaking with Sganga, offered to send these PPE materials to LISVH.

Aboff’s Paint Stores have provided a total of 1,040 masks and 133 tyvek suits and pairs of painters booties to LISVH and 3,200 masks to Southampton Hospital.

“We’ve been part of the community since 1929 and we wanted to give back to the community that’s been supporting us over the past 90 years” said Matthew Aboff.

“Aboff’s Paint Stores and the Aboff family are the quintessential community-minded business for which Long Island is known,” said Steven M. Bernstein, Chief Development Officer, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. “They are a strong presence in the Village of Southampton and our hospital is thrilled to have their generous support of personal protection equipment at this critical time.”

 About the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University:

The LISVH at Stony Brook University is a 350 bed skilled nursing facility that also operates a 40 registrant medical model Adult Day Health Care program. It is one of 157 State Veterans Homes in the United States and Puerto Rico. The LISVH operates under the auspices of Stony Brook Medicine and remains one of only nursing homes in the country that is fully integrated into the health and educational mission of an academic medical center. Since opening its doors in October 1991, the Long Island State Veterans Home has provided care to Long Island’s veterans. For more information, please call (631) 444-VETS.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Aboff’s Paint Stores

Matt Aboff (516) 528-4522.

Stony Brook University

Joan Behan-Duncan (631) 901-4005