ABC’s of Hunger Food Drive Totals

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Thanks to your donations, fewer families in the state will go without food, as the ABC’s of Hunger Food Drive wraps up its five-week partnership with McDonald’s and Harvest Hope Food Bank. Since the start of the ABCs of Hunger Food Drive May 27, you have donated 2,779 pounds of canned goods and other items, and donations continue to pour in 48 Midlands McDonald’s restaurants participated. Once your donation leaves the restaurant, it comes to the warehouse of Harvest Hope to the Product Rescue area. There, volunteers sort and inspect the food for safety. If its no good, it’s trashed. Once it’s sorted, it can go a number of places, including the warehouse, the emergency food pantry, or stored in boxes to be shipped to different organizations like retirement homes and programs to feed those in rural areas. Executive Director, Denise Holland, says during the summer, the need is magnified with children being out of school. “Our needs have been up 25-40% when school is out,” said Holland. She says food drives keep Harvest Hope moving. “Harvest Hope Food Bank will not survive, feed 48,000 people every week, on average, without canned food drives,” said Holland. Now that the 2nd Annual ABC’s of Hunger Food Drive has come to an end, officials challenge other companies, groups and organizations to accept the challenge of helping to feed hungry families in the state by hosting food drives. For more information, contact Harvest Hope Food Bank at 803-254-4432 or www.harvesthope.org.