Hunger
has a local address
Rescuing Food to Feed Our Neighbors
We are the only volunteer-driven organization in Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties authorized to rescue food. Our volunteers pick up the food and deliver it at no cost to fulfillment agency partners and provide it directly to people in need.
Rescuing food and preventing food waste in our community
Second Helpings is a nonprofit food rescue and distribution network striving to eliminate hunger in the South Carolina Lowcountry. We collect and distribute food which would have otherwise ended up in landfills.
Our 341 volunteers supply 55 nonprofit food pantries, soup kitchens, agencies and churches in Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties. Together, we feed more than 19,000 hungry people in our community every week. Many of them work in the hospitality industry, making our paradise possible for local residents and visitors.
A year at Second Helpings
lbs of food collected and distributed
lbs of greenhouse gas emissions avoided
Second Helpings volunteer hours
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
Partner
Help us feed the hungry with a sponsorship, food drive, or fundraising event.
Raise Awareness
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 seven people, and one in five children in South Carolina, struggles with hunger. At least 50% of local children qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. In some towns, this number can reach 100%.
Our partners say...
“Molly came to Bluffton Self Help not knowing where else to turn. She had separated from a bad domestic situation and was working to put the pieces together. She secured a new job, but was struggling with bills. When she saw all the fresh food and produce that had come off the Second Helpings truck, she knew she could provide healthy, fresh food for herself and her son while she continued to build her life. She even selected a cupcake for her son, the first treat he has enjoyed in months.”
Our Food Agencies
We partner with 55 local organizations that serve people in need throughout Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties. Our agencies must be a 501(c)3 organization, serve those in need, or a church in order to be a partner. Our food is given freely to these organizations who, with our help, are able to shift their focus to strengthening our community’s food safety net.
1 in 5 children
in our area are food insecure.
Who we help
Second Helpings and our Agency Partners serve a culturally diverse range of populations in a variety of ways. These include soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, shelters for victims of domestic violence, Boys and Girls Clubs, senior centers, and more. Our focus with each of these groups is to serve the greatest number of people in an area while avoiding duplication of services.
Thanks to our food donors
