This month we are happy to highlight Harvest of Hope. The mission of Harvest Hope Food Bank is to provide for the needs of hungry people by gathering and sharing quality food with dignity, compassion and education.
Harvest Hope began in 1981 as the result of a shared vision of business leaders and the faith community who set out to provide for the hungry in Columbia. Since then Harvest Hope has increased its mission to feed the hungry across 20 counties of South Carolina. Harvest Hope distributed over 28 million pounds of food last year and fed approximately 38,000 people a week.
From their simple beginnings, Harvest Hope has continued to increase the scope of its operations and now provides food, comfort and hope to hungry individuals and families in the Midlands, Pee Dee and Greater Greenville regions of South Carolina.
Harvest Hope Food Bank has multiple locations across our 20-county service area that serve as distribution centers reaching a variety of programs to serve hungry people. Harvest Hope is a proud partner with Feeding America, the largest charitable hunger relief organization in the United States. They are also a member of the South Carolina Food Bank Association and distribute USDA product.
Additionally, Harvest Hope serves as South Carolina's primary disaster hunger relief emergency feeding organization as designated by the SC Emergency Management Division. They are prepared to mobilize in the event of an emergency to provide food throughout the state and to bordering areas that may be impacted by man-made or natural disasters.
For example, Harvest Hope responded to a large and devastating apartment fire in Sumter, SC in November, 2011. Harvest Hope delivered emergency food boxes to individuals and families displace by the fire and continued to assist the American Red Cross to provide hunger relief throughout their displacement until March 2012.
Harvest Hope expanded its Greenville operations by moving into an 85,000 square foot facility in September of 2010. This expansion has allowed our agency to dramatically increase its shipping and receiving operations in the Greater Greenville Area, as well as its entire 20 county service area. Harvest Hope Food Bank is a proud partner with Feeding America, the largest charitable hunger relief organization in the United States. They are also a member of the South Carolina Food Bank Association and distribute USDA product.
For more information in how you can volunteer your time or make a donation, please visit their website at http://www.harvesthope.org/ or call them at (864) 281-3995.
