Gift of Good Taste: Food Boxes Feed Those in Need
The holidays are all about giving and sharing time with loved ones, so this year, the nonprofit FoodShare SC is launching a new fundraising effort called the Good Box. Working together with Farm to Table Productions and The Charitable Plate, FoodShare SC has crafted beautiful gift boxes filled with fresh local products and produce to give to friends, family and co-workers. Not only do the Good Boxes make for the perfect holiday present, they also help raise money to support FoodShare SC’s mission of bringing affordable, healthy foods to those living in underserved areas.
Everyone deserves access to affordable healthy food. But for many people living in rural areas of South Carolina, this simply isn’t a reality. That’s why Beverly Wilson founded the FoodShare SC organization in 2015. Four years later, FoodShare SC has distributed more than 35,000 fresh produce boxes containing more than 730,000 poundsof food to people across the state. The organization’s primary initiative, the Fresh Food Box, brings healthy food directly to those living in food deserts. To deliver this year-round service, FoodShare SC works closely with wholesalers at the South Carolina Farmers Market to source local produce from farmers across the state. Items are then divided into individual boxes before being sent to those who need it most.
“People’s choices about what to eat are severely limited by the options available to them and what they can afford,” says Associate Director Gordon Schell, “And many food deserts contain an overabundance of fast food chains selling cheap meat and dairy-based foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.” People who live in rural areas without a nearby grocery store may have to travel 10 miles or more just to purchase fresh produce, a difficult task for anyone without a reliable form of transportation.
“According to a USDA study reported in 2017, there are about 250,000 South Carolina residents living in 21 food deserts located primarily in our state’s low-income rural areas where grocery stores have closed,” Schell says. Without access to fresh, healthy foods, people in these communities turn to unhealthy options, which often lead to medical problems. Unfortunately, the number of food deserts in South Carolina is rising, making FoodShare SC’s role even more important as they continue to expand their programs.
This holiday season, the organization's new fundraising effort, the Good Box, will be filled with artisan foodstuffs and on sale to the public to help fund the organization’s efforts.
The Breakfast Edition of the Good Box includes a range of products from local purveyors including The Congaree Milling Co. grits, Bee Well Honey Farm honey, Adluh Flour Mills flour, Lowcountry Creamery milk, Happy Cow Creamery butter and Woodland Valley Farms bacon. Each recipient will also get fresh bread, local jams and hot sauces, seasonal fruits and veggies and local farm-fresh eggs.
“It’s the perfect opportunity for companies and individuals to provide a unique gift for families, friends, and clients while supporting several local South Carolina purveyors and FoodShare South Carolina,” says Schell.
Good Boxes will be available for pick up on December 12 at the FoodShare Food Hub in Columbia, but there are many other ways that you can get involved with the organization. Financial donations are always accepted to help expand current programs and fund futureefforts. Anyone interested in helping out can also sign up as a volunteer to pack and deliver boxes.
To learn more about FoodShare SC’s program, visit their website.
