Partnership Provides Fresh Produce to Rural South Carolina

Volunteers at FoodShare Bamberg pack fresh fruits and vegetables into produce boxes.

On Thursday mornings at FoodShare Bamberg, volunteers take their stations in the assembly line — sweet potatoes, apples, oranges, onions, eggplants, broccoli, tomatoes, bananas. Hundreds of cardboard boxes, packed to the brim with fresh produce, are prepared for distribution.

Access to fresh, nutritious food is a constant challenge for our rural neighbors, many of whom live in food deserts where grocery stores are scarce.

But thanks to our 10-month partnership with FoodShare Bamberg this year, we have provided thousands of boxes of fresh produce for families in three South Carolina counties.

“We are super proud and thrilled about the partnership with Golden Harvest,” said Lara Buss, Director of FoodShare Bamberg. “Through this partnership opportunity, FoodShare Bamberg will also be able to continue our mission: feeding a need in our community!”

A volunteer holds up sweet potatoes that she will add to a FoodShare box.

In Bamberg, Barnwell, and Allendale counties, about 1 in 3 children are food insecure. Golden Harvest Food Bank and FoodShare Bamberg have provided 900 fresh produce boxes a month since January to help families in these counties access nutritious food.

This partnership was made possible by a $180,000 grant, provided by the Lower Savannah Council of Governments through a Community Development Block Grant program. 

“So many of our agencies in South Carolina are rural, where families don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which are really needed for healthy living,” said Amy Breitmann, President and CEO of Golden Harvest Food Bank. “It’s a blessing to be able to use this grant money to purchase FoodShare boxes and get fresh produce directly into the hands of families who need it.”