Fueled by Fresh COVID-19 Relief Drive-Thru Food Distribution – July 24
July 22, 2020
Lowcountry Food Bank COVID-19 Relief Food Distribution
600 boxes of fresh produce, 400 boxes of shelf-stable food and gallons of milk will be distributed!
When: Friday, July 24, 2020, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 7396 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406
COVID-19 has created a tremendous increase in the need for food for our neighbors who struggle with hunger. More than 173,700 individuals, including 51,510 children, face hunger every day in coastal South Carolina. These numbers are increasing as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.
In April, D. Michael Wilson and Pam Wilson provided a dollar-for-dollar $150,000 match donation for COVID-19 food relief. The donation was used to purchase and distribute “Fueled by Fresh” relief boxes of fresh produce and shelf-stable food designed to provide each family with one week’s worth of food.
“When the virus took hold in the US this spring, there was a great awareness of the increased need that was placed on non-profits, and there was a commensurate outpouring of charitable giving,” said D. Michael Wilson, former CEO of Ingevity. “After the initial surge of those first two months, philanthropic organizations reported a plateauing in the demand for services as people began to receive unemployment funds. However, as many COVID related relief programs draw to a close, they’ve begun to see another increase in demand. With federal unemployment payments set to end in July, many anticipate significant increases in August. If children do not return to classrooms in September the demand will remain elevated as meals served at school represent a significant source of nutrition for our children who are most at risk.”
Read more here about why philanthropic work is more important than ever in Time, Talent, and Treasure. https://medium.com/@dmichaelwilson/time-talent-and-treasure-c04417da2dab
D. Michael Wilson, Pam Wilson and LCFB executives will be on hand to provide additional comments about how monetary donations from the community will help many Lowcountry citizens.
The following points illustrate the increased demand on the LCFB since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March:
- Over 62,000 shelf stable disaster relief boxes packed and distributed
- Over 61,000 pre-packed produce boxes distributed
- 484% increase in food assistance at the LCFB emergency food pantry
- 4.7 million additional pounds of food distributed
- 36,500 backpacks to children who depend on school lunches
- During this same time period, more than 30% of the LCFB’s total food distribution has been comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables.
In March, the LCFB quickly adjusted its business model due to drastic declines in retail food donations, social distancing limitations on volunteer efforts, and the need for low-contact distributions. Drive-thru food distribution models were created to protect LCFB partner agencies and food pantries, LCFB neighbors in need, volunteers and employees.
The LCFB also increased its already stringent food safety and safe handling practices to include social distancing and additional sterilization procedures as recommended by the CDC.
To donate to COVID-19 food relief efforts or to find food assistance, visit https://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/covid19/
About the Lowcountry Food Bank: Feed. Advocate. Empower.
The Lowcountry Food Bank serves the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina and distributed more than 32 million pounds of food in 2019. The Lowcountry Food Bank helps fight hunger by distributing food to nearly 300 partner agencies including soup kitchens, homeless shelters and emergency food pantries. The Lowcountry Food Bank advocates on behalf of those who experience hunger and helps empower people to make healthy and nutritious food choices. For more information go to the Lowcountry Food Bank website and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
