32 thousand meals donated to Harvest Hope Food Bank

(Photo: Harvest Hope Food Bank)

(Photo: Harvest Hope Food Bank)

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) —- The summer is suppose to be a time full of fun in the sun, but hunger and the need for a good meal doesn’t get a summer break.  According officials with the Harvest Hope Food Bank, it’s also a time when food donations tend to decrease since a lot of families are on vacation and traveling. That’s where  BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina stepped in to make a huge difference.

Monday July 8th, 2019 employees with the insurance company combined all of the food collected from all of the Midlands’ BlueCross locations, a virtual food drive, in addition to monetary donations they were able to create more than 32,000 meals for families in need.  That total beat out last year’s amount of donations of 31,000 meals.

This year employees, who officials say spent two days volunteering at the food pantry, were asked to donate items that would also benefit Harvest Hope’s diabetic food pantry. The diabetic-friendly food boxes contain items that are low in sugar and salt, which are healthier options for people with diabetes and include items like fresh produce, lean proteins and canned items that are salt and sugar free.

The donation will help Harvest Hope food Bank continue their work of being able to serve 38,000 people every week in 20 different South Carolina counties.