FOCUS: Lowcountry Food Bank gets $120,000 in grants to fight hunger

Staff reports  |  The Lowcountry Food Bank has been awarded $120,000 in community investment grants for 2019-2022 from Trident United Way, the organization announced last week.

The grants will help the nonprofit agency to conduct additional fresh produce distributions, implement nutrition education and provide child hunger relief to residents in the Charleston tri-county area.

Through the proposed Healthy Foods Initiative, the food bank is expected to achieve the following objectives through these grants in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties:

• Distribute more than 4.8 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in the community through direct-to-client distributions to more than 102,000 low-income and food-insecure children, adults, and seniors;
• Conduct at least 175 farmers’ market-style fresh produce distributions annually in underserved, high-need communities;
• Provide more than 900 children each year with fresh fruits and vegetables through kids’ choice mini-produce markets at approximately 20 child hunger-relief program partner sites;
• Increase the annual percent of produce that comprises the LCFB’s total amount of food distributed to more than 29 percent;
• Conduct annual Cooking Matters courses in collaboration with community partners with at least 165 participants including children, adults and seniors; conduct Cooking Matters at the Store tours with 450 adult and senior participants each year; and provide nutrition education and outreach to more than 25,000 individuals to promote higher fruit and vegetable consumption.

Additionally through its Child Hunger-Relief Programs, the food bank said it will achieve the following objectives through these grants in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties:

• Distribute more than 190,000 pounds of nutritious food to more than 2,500 children annually utilizing LCFB child hunger-relief programs (BackPack Buddies, School Pantry, and School Markets) that best meet the nutritional needs of food-insecure children attending approximately 45 school and community partner sites;
• Provide more than 127,500 nutritious meals to more than 1,600 children annually through the Kids Café and Summer Meals program at approximately 30 school and community partner sites;
• Establish additional School Markets creating a permanent food pantry in at least 4 high-need public schools.

Last year, the Lowcountry Food Bank, which serves the 10 coastal counties of South, distributed more than 30.5 million pounds of food. It helps fight hunger by distributing food to nearly 300 partner agencies including soup kitchens, homeless shelters and emergency food pantries. More information.

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