When notable personalities like Phil Collins, Nelson DeMille and Ed Lowe take to doodling, the results are not only amusing, but beneficial.

Massapequa-based business Duffy Barrett & Taggart, Inc., with the creative input and written approval of many prominent celebrities, is marketing and producing a ceramic collection called Celebrity Ceramics in order to raise funds for Long Island Cares, the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

"Presently, I have an enormous collection of celebrity art/doodles to be printed onto ceramic tiles," explained Francis X. Duffy, president of Duffy Barrett & Taggart, Inc. "These Celebrity Ceramics will be sold through the website of Long Island Cares, among other places, to help them in their fight against hunger on Long Island."

Fifteen percent of the sale from each ceramic will be donated to Long Island Cares, an agency dedicated to bringing all available community resources together for the benefit of the hungry on Long Island. Each kiln-fired ceramic measures 6" by 6", and comes with a 5" tabletop easel for display.

Selections of Celebrity Ceramics at the Long Island Cares website available for purchase include Phil Collins, Nelson DeMille, Phyllis Diller, Dion DiMucci, Ed Lowe, Marc Brown, Marty Balin from Jefferson Starship, Norm Crosby, Peter Yarrow, with more to follow. Duffy said he plans to create ceramics in other sizes, as well as on marble, in the future.

"This is incredible," said Robin Amato, director of Development at Long Island Cares. "Not only is the funding always helpful, particularly in these lean times, but through Celebrity Ceramics, many more people will learn about who we are and what we do."

Long Island Cares is a catalyst in the community to work toward long-term food self-reliance while recognizing that the most vulnerable segments of the population will always require assistance. The goals of Long Island Cares are to provide emergency food assistance where and when it is needed, to sponsor programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency, and to educate the general public about hunger on Long Island.

Currently, there is a "Celebrity Ceramic" button on the Nelson DeMille web site, and the entire collection is on exhibit at the Bar Harbor Library in Massapequa. For ordering and pricing information visit licares.org.