Golden Harvest Food Bank, which operates in six South Carolina counties near the South Carolina-Georgia border, will bring a summer family program to the Palmetto State that was piloted in the nonprofit's Georgia operations.
The food bank announced Tuesday that its Summer Harvest program will expand into the areas of South Carolina where it serves and works with local partners.
About 4,000 boxes of food will be available for families with children aged 17 and younger, who may rely on school breakfasts and lunches for meals during the school year. Beneficiaries can collect produce, proteins and prepackaged goods in what Vice President of Marketing Abby Muehlfeld said would be 45-pound boxes.
As of Tuesday, twelve of the organization's partners had committed to distribution.
Exact distribution dates were not specified, but the program will span from May to August; the nonprofit said event dates would be posted to its social media page with a minimum of a week's notice.
Registration is not required, unlike previous program runs. Muehlfeld said she understood that some people may be embarrassed by the notion of needing nutritional assistance, but she hoped those who lack resources would seek out the aid.
"It's actually a sign of strength and responsibility to be able to receive the help that you need," she said. "Everybody does need a hand sometimes. That is why food banks are here — that is why food pantries are here."
On Thursday, about 25 volunteers packed boxes at the food bank's volunteer center in Aiken. Carrots, peanut butter and breakfast cereal were among the 29-pounds of food lined inside cardboard boxes. Sixteen pounds of meat will accompany the shelf-safe goods at distribution.
The group packed 460 boxes that they hoped will find a way into the homes of people who need it. Most of the volunteers were salaried Food Lion employees. Golden Harvest credited a $40,000 grant from the grocer through its Summers Without Hungers program as a key part in bringing the program to South Carolina.
Each 45-pound box cost the nonprofit about $54, which brings the cost of food alone to more than $200,000. Muehlfeld said donations from other organizations and individuals, too, helped support the program's expansion.
Paul Sholette manages an Aiken-area Food Lion. He said the volunteering seemed like a natural extension of his job that food plays a vital role in.
"We're in the feeding people business, and we should also be in the serving people business," he said.
Sholette said the Food Lion Feeds program dates back to 2014 and has helped provide about 1.5 billion meals. And he looked at the relationship with Golden Harvest as a keystone in giving back to the community.
Annise Rousey sorted cans of tomato sauce into boxes branded with Golden Harvest's name. The former teacher, who was there with her husband, said packing the cans was easy. She hoped people would be receptive to the assistance.
"It's good work," she said. "It's never enough."
Golden Harvest operates in 18 counties throughout Georgia. Last year, the nonprofit distributed about 12,000 boxes in those counties during the Summer Harvest campaign.
In South Carolina, the food bank works in Aiken County, Allendale County, Barnwell County, Bamberg County, Edgefield County and McCormick County.
Allendale and Barnwell are among the counties in the state with the highest food insecurity rates, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Public Health and Feeding America.
The data, which goes through 2023, marked Allendale County as the having the highest rate of food insecurity in any of the state's 46 counties at 20.2%, or about one in five people whose next meal could fall into question. The county's rate for children was 36.6%.
