OUR HISTORY

Second Helpings has been rescuing food since 1992. Guenther and Louise Hecht, residents of Hilton Head Island, noticed how much food was being thrown away by grocery stores and restaurants and decided to act. They and a group of dedicated volunteers, using their own cars, started collecting the food and bringing it to local agencies. They bought their first refrigerated truck six months later. The organization has grown steadily over the years, serving additional agencies and areas.

Today, Second Helpings operates nine refrigerated trucks and serves Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties. Since 1992, we have distributed more than 50 million pounds of food to our neighbors in need. In 2023, we distributed 3.4 million pounds of food, as a total of 468 volunteers contributed 21,000 hours, traveled 89,422 miles, and delivered enough food to provide 54,000 meals weekly. The total value of food rescued and purchased in 2023 was $6.1 million. Including the value of rescued food, 99 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to hunger relief.Because of our committed, active volunteers, every dollar donated enables us to rescue nearly six pounds of food, or five equivalent meals.