BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — A food pantry has recently opened in Bishopville, which marks the second pantry in all of Lee County. It provides emergency food to people in need, who can stop by to get three days worth of food.
Christy Beasley the CareSouth Carolina community health educator helping to open the pantry.
"Not having something to eat the whole day just breaks my heart," Beasley told me. "I don't care their circumstances, I don't care who they are. Nobody. Nobody should have to go without eating and one day it could be me and I would want somebody to step up and help me."
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Lee County resident Tameeka Lesane once found herself needing that help. That feeling stuck with her, and it’s why she’s serving as a county community health worker.
"I was at a place one time where I needed assistance. And you know, I always told myself and I prayed and I say you know what? When the Lord blesses me to be able to bless somebody else, then I will," Lesane said. "I've been there so I understand what it's like, you know, the end of the month comes and you're waiting for your food stamps to come and you're running kinda low. Guess what? They can come here, get something to hold them over until their food stamps come."
Lee County residents can come to the pantry to get three days worth of emergency food. Lesane says they see about 15-20 families a day.
"It was just needed. It really was needed," Lesane told me.
"This is a high poverty area," Beasley added. "And it is a small community and it's a close community, but there's a lot of elderly without and we serve the elderly community a lot."
When they come to the pantry, they can also receive help with applying for food stamps and access to federally qualified healthcare through CareSouth Carolina, according to Chief of Community Health Joe Bittle.
"Being able to provide this service and collaborate with people in this community to do that is wonderful," Bittle explained. "That's what we do."
The food is donated to the pantry through community drives and through Harvest Hope Food Bank.
The pantry is open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.