Thank you for your interest in our tourist food rescue program (“Post-Vacation Food Donation”). It’s a great way to help us fight hunger and food waste right here on Hilton Head Island, and make a significant positive impact on the lives of our neighbors in need.

Second Helpings is a nonprofit food rescue organization striving to eliminate hunger in the South Carolina Lowcountry. We collect and distribute food which would have otherwise ended up in landfills. In 2025, our 520 volunteers distributed 3.7 million pounds of food, free of charge, to 55 agencies in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties which serve more than 14,000 people every week. Second Helpings is a United Way Agency.

 

Where can food be donated?

We have a number of specially-marked donation bins at the locations shown on the map.

  • Coral Sands – 66 Pope Ave
  • FISH Casual Coastal Seafood – 1 N Forest Beach Dr
  • Grayco Hardware & Home – 6 Bow Circle
  • Hilton Head Bridge Club – 95 Mathews Dr Apt 8
  • Island Links Resort – 1 Coggins Point Rd
  • Marriott at Shelter Cove – 4 Shelter Cove Ln
  • Marriott’s Barony Beach Club – 5 Grasslawn Ave
  • Marriott’s Grande Ocean – 51 S Forest Beach Dr
  • Marriott’s Harbour Club – 144 Lighthouse Rd
  • Marriott’s Heritage Club – 12 Lighthouse Ln
  • Marriott’s Monarch – 91 N Sea Pines Dr
  • Marriott’s SurfWatch – 10 Surf Watch Way
  • Ocean View at Island Club – 85 Folly Field Rd
  • Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association – Administration, Security, Pass Office – 16 Queens Folly Rd
  • The Sea Pines Resort (Welcome Center) – 32 Greenwood Dr
  • Second Helpings – 11A Marina Side Dr
  • Sonesta Resort – 130 Shipyard Dr
  • Starbucks Sea Turtle Plaza – 416 William Hilton Pkwy

What foods can be donated?

We can rescue and redistribute unopened foods that do not require refrigeration, such as:

  • Canned goods
  • Snack foods
  • Dried pasta and rice
  • Cereal
  • Coffee
  • Beverages
  • Condiments and sauces

We can also accept unopened cleaning supplies and personal care items.

What items are needed most?

The items most requested by local food pantries include:

  • Canned foods: tuna, chicken, salmon, chili, pasta meals, fruits & vegetables, soup, SPAM and Vienna Sausages;
  • Dried pasta, rice, and pinto beans;
    Peanut butter & jelly, cereal, oatmeal, and cooking oil.

What can’t be rescued?

We cannot use opened bottles or cans, frozen foods, alcoholic beverages, cooked leftovers, or anything requiring refrigeration.

Where will my food donations go?

To food pantries on Hilton Head Island, including: the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head’s after-school food program, St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s Soup Kitchen, Christ Lutheran Church’, the Deep Well Project, Holy Family Catholic Church, Providence Presbyterian Church, and Sandalwood Community Food Pantry. Together, these organizations feed more than 1,500 people every week!

Are volunteers still collecting food in the Grayco parking lot on Saturday mornings?

No – we made it easier for people to donate food by not having to search for us during certain hours. But there’s a collection bin at Grayco for those who found this a convenient way to donate food.

Why keep the food on Hilton Head Island?

Hilton Head is home to nearly five thousand food-insecure residents, and many others who commute to work here. Many of them were involved in making this island beautiful and your vacation memorable.

Questions?

Let us know? Just email us at communications@secondhelpingslc.org