COLUMBIA, S.C. — Volunteers from across the Richland County community gathered at Spring Valley High School on Saturday to pack 70,000 meals.
The effort is part of the annual Spring Valley Baptist Church Hunger Project in partnership with the non-profit Harvest Pack.
This year, teams worked together to package oatmeal that will be sent around the South Carolina Midlands, from weekend backpacks for students in Richland Two to Meals on Wheels packages for the elderly in the community.
Some volunteers came from local school programs, others tagged along with their families, and folks like Bob Hardison with Spring Valley Baptist Church have been coming to volunteer for years.
"We care about our church; we care about helping others. That's it," Hardison said.
Spring Valley Baptist Church and Harvest Pack started a mission to feed as many hungry people as possible 11 years ago.
Harvest Pack Partnerships Manager Brad Fleming said that although the program has grown and spread across the nation, the focus will always be the community.
“All this food is going to stay in the community," Fleming said. "It's going to go to Christian Assistance Bridge in Blythewood, a very well-established food pantry. It's going to the Richland Two School System Food Backpack Program, so these little bags of food are going to end up in school backpacks on the weekend, going home with students who may not have food over the weekend."
"It's going to go to Newberry College, a student pantry there to help those students," he added. "Seniors will be affected by this project, Meals on Wheels; these bags will go into the Senior Meals that are delivered to our neighbors that are elderly. So these meals are going to make their journey throughout the Columbia area."
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With 30,000 meals being a need in the Richland Two School District, school board members like Angela Nash rolled up their sleeves to help.
“We have many students with food insecurities so it’s always great when harvest pack comes home and when we can serve our students here," Nash said as she scooped oatmeal.
Harvest Pack will be hosting another event in Columbia at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Feb 24.