S.C. Department of Public Health Celebrates Community Partners During National Food Bank Day

In celebration of National Food Bank Day Friday, September 6, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) wishes to thank its dedicated statewide partners who operate food banks and pantries that provide sustenance and fresh food to South Carolinians in need.

One in eight South Carolinians – including one in six children – are food insecure, according to the nonprofit Feeding America. Observed each year on the first Friday of September, National Food Bank Day aims to raise awareness for the problem of hunger in the United States and encourage people to give to their local food bank. 

“Food banks expand access to healthy and balanced food items that people may not otherwise be able to afford, assisting in our state’s efforts to overcome food insecurity,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, DPH interim director. “The hundreds of food banks and pantries across our state are a true communal effort, relying on those who operate and support them as well as those who donate to them. Today, we thank our residents who provide assistance to their fellow residents in need.”

Clemson University College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services’ (DES) Food Access Map shows food pantries in every county to aid families facing food insecurity. The map makes the process of finding reliable information on food resources easier for people in need across the state, offering information on over 900 food pantries and food resources in the state.

“The Food Access Map is a critical resource for people and communities experiencing food and nutrition insecurity across South Carolina,” said Leslie Hossfeld, dean of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. “This partnership is one of the many ways the S.C. Department of Public Health, CBSHS and S.C. Department of Environmental Services are working to improve the health and well-being of South Carolinians, and I am proud of how the Food Access Map continues to meet individuals’ needs and support food bank services across the state.”

Anyone can be a food donor. Farmers, manufacturers, grocery stores, businesses and individuals can donate nonperishable items to food banks at any time. Those interested in donating can utilize the Food Access Map to find and contact a food bank to learn more about what items they will accept and need.  

South Carolinians with food needs are encouraged to visit the Food Access Map to find a food bank nearest them.  

Some Ways DPH is Helping Reduce Food Insecurity in South Carolina

In January, staff from DPH’s Bureau of Community Nutrition Services volunteered at Harvest Hope Food Bank – Columbia. Staff members helped inspect, sort, prepare and pack goods to be donated to the community. Harvest Hope is South Carolina’s largest food bank, feeding the hungry across 20 counties in South Carolina.

In July, DPH partnered with Greenwood Counts Community Consortium (GC3) Food and Hunger Alliance and the United Way of the Lakelands to develop a food resource card to help address food insecurity in Greenwood County. The card features a QR code that directs users to the Greenwood Food Resource Map on the United Way’s Lakelands Counts website.  

In 2023, the South Carolina General Assembly established the Food Security Council to examine state agency programs addressing food insecurity in the state, identify gaps in services, especially for the most vulnerable populations, and make recommendations on improvements to existing services and additional programs. The council was chaired by Dr. Edward Simmer, DPH interim director. In January, the Food Security Council submitted its final report to the legislature which included 16 recommendations to increase food security for all South Carolinians.

The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) was established in July 2016. CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.