Hunger
Has a Local AddressOver 20,000 Lowcountry neighbors face hunger and food insecurity.
One in nine 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 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 which would have otherwise ended up in landfills, and provide it, free of charge, to 54 food pantries, soup kitchens and family and senior programs in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties. In 2023, we rescued and distributed 3.4 million pounds of food. Since 1992, we have distributed more than 50 million pounds of food for our neighbors who need it.
According to Feeding America, there are 20,610 persons in need in our three-county area – including nearly 3,000 on Hilton Head Island plus those who commute to work here. These, and many others who are finding that they can’t make ends meet because of high inflation or an unexpected expense, are the people that we and our agencies 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
lbs of food collected and distributed
equivalent meals provided
value of food distributed
people served
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 47 food donors, providing same day delivery to our 54 agency partners at no cost.
HEALTHY FOOD INITIATIVE
We purchase fresh, healthy food from local farmers and wholesalers to provide supplemental nutrition to our neighbors in need.
FILL THE NEED
Our partnership with Palmetto Breeze Transit aids commuters enduring lengthy trips home to rural areas without food resources.
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 9 people
1 in 7 children
in our area 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 nine people, and one in seven children in South Carolina, struggles with hunger. An estimated 60% 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 54 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