Port Washington teens tackling food insecurity with program at local pizzeria 

In Port Washington, the idea of “paying it forward” starts with a kind message and a slice of pizza.

Paul D. Schreiber High School freshmen Brooke Pastolove and Peri Cooper recently took over a program that aims to tackle food insecurity in the community with the help of a local pizzeria.

Local twins Alec and Kate Goodman started the program in December 2020 by introducing the concept that customers of Carlo’s Pizza in Port Washington could pay $3 so another person could receive a free slice or donate the $3 or more money to an account that pays for meals.

After someone pays ahead, that person can write a message on a Post-it note, stick it on the “wall for redemption”  and another person can redeem the note for a slice.

“Once we saw our idea translate to help so many we made a pledge to ourselves and to the owners of Carlo’s Pizza, Daniel Cenatiempo and Roberto Pallagrosi, to make Port Pays It Forward part of the community forever,” the twins said in a statement. “It’s rewarding to mentor other young adults to uphold our mission back home and ensure the program is a fabric of our community.”

The twins, now 18 and students at the University of Michigan, started the Port Pays It Forward program with $500 from their savings.

“Since they went away to college, we thought it would be a great opportunity to take it over and keep expanding,” 14-year-old Brooke said of the Goodman twins.

“A slice is all it takes to make a difference,” said 15-year-old Peri.

The program has helped feed residents through partnerships with entities including the Port Washington Parent Resource Center and Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church.

Nicole Asselta, executive director of the Parent Resource Center, said the program has helped provide meals for participants of the center, whose mission is to make early education programs available at affordable prices.

“I think it makes a big difference,” Asselta said. “Events we take for granted are…