Hunger
Has a Local AddressAn estimated 31,460 Lowcountry neighbors face hunger and food insecurity.
One in eight neighbors in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties face hunger and food insecurity. They are children and their families, senior citizens, and workers whose paychecks don’t stretch far enough to cover their expenses. Many of them work in the hospitality industry that sustains our thriving economy for residents and visitors alike.
Rescuing food, fighting hunger and preventing food waste in our community
Second Helpings is a nonprofit food rescue and distribution network striving to eliminate hunger and food waste in the South Carolina Lowcountry. We collect and distribute food that would have otherwise ended up in landfills, and provide it, free of charge, to 55 food pantries, soup kitchens, and family and senior programs. Every $1 donation enables us to rescue six pounds of food, enough for five meals. In 2024, we rescued and distributed 3.3 million pounds of food. Since 1992, we have distributed more than 56 million pounds of food for our neighbors in need.
According to the latest data from Feeding America, there are 31,460 persons in need in our three-county area. These are the people that we and our Agency Partners serve. They are children and their families, senior citizens, and workers whose paychecks don’t stretch far enough to cover their expenses. Many of them work in the hospitality industry, making our paradise possible for local residents and visitors.
A year at Second Helpings
pounds of food collected and distributed
equivalent meals provided
dollar value of food distributed
people fed every week
OUR PROGRAMS
We fight hunger and food insecurity in a number of ways. Our approach is data-informed, ensuring the effectiveness and equity of our programs while avoiding service duplication.
FOOD RESCUE
Second Helpings volunteers rescue surplus food from 48 food donors, providing same day delivery to our 55 agency partners at no cost.
HEALTHY FOOD INITIATIVE
We purchase fresh, healthy food from local farmers and wholesalers to supplement the value of rescued food for our neighbors in need.
POST VACATION FOOD DONATION
During tourist season, departing Hilton Head Island vacationers are invited to donate unopened food to benefit island food pantries.
1 in 8 people
1 in 6 children
in South Carolina are food insecure.
THE NEED IS GREAT
An estimated 40% of food is wasted. Nearly all (97%) of wasted food ends up in landfills, becoming the single largest component of municipal solid waste and a large source of methane emissions.
At the same time, one in eight people, and one in six children in South Carolina, struggles with hunger. Approximately 80% of South Carolina’s children qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. In some towns, this number can reach 100%.
how you can help
Fuel our mission and make a lasting impact by supporting Second Helpings – your contribution helps bridge the hunger gap, one meal at a time, for the well-being of our neighbors and our community
Donate
GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE. We rely on the generosity of people like you to rescue food and prevent food waste in our community.
Volunteer
Raise Awareness
Partner
Help us feed the hungry with a sponsorship, food drive, or fundraising event.
Our partners say...
“How I wish I would win the lottery or something so that we could give back to you for all that Second Helpings has meant to Mercy Mission. We are so grateful for your partnership, and not just during the heaviness time of the pandemic. When your truck rolls up, a big cheer goes up and that heaviness turns into a lightness and joy for our neighbors here in Hardeeville, our staff and our volunteers as well as your staff and volunteers.”
Sister Mary Fran Bassick,
Mercy Mission
Our Agency Partners
We partner with 55 local food pantries, soup kitchens, family and senior programs throughout Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties that serve people in need. All of the food we distribute is provided free of charge, so that these organizations are able to focus their resources on helping their clients break the cycle of poverty.
Thanks to our food donors
Waterfall Farm
Dempsey Farms
Longs Deer Processing
Become a food donor!
