SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — Over the past few days as the Thanksgiving holiday inches closer, many businesses and organizations are lending a helping hand to make sure no one goes hungry on Thanksgiving.
The pandemic has forced people to look for resources they might not have to before, according to many charitable agencies and those agencies have the another concern- getting folks the help they need after the holidays.
"When the stimulus dollars started coming into the community in the summer, people were okay," said United Way of the Midlands CEO & President, Sara Fawcett. "Now that those dollars have run out, eviction moratoriums have expired, and power companies are having people catch up on their bills, people are behind."
Fawcett says since September, phone calls and online visits have spiked since the peak of the pandemic.
The resources people are asking for are access to food, rent, and help paying their electric bills, Fawcett is urging people to call 2-1-1.
"With 2-1-1, there are several things they can do," explained Fawcett. "It can help triage your situation and not only get the help that you called for but also refer you to other places for different types of help you may need."
The Salvation Army of the Midlands also recognizes folks needing assistance during these times.
Major Henry Morris says the Salvation Army has also seen an increase in people needing help with utility bills. They are offering voucher assistance to those who qualify.
"That's why we're trying to continue to raise funds because we know that type of need is going to be there after the holidays," explained Morris.
The Harvest Hope Food Bank has seen an increase in people searching for food. Spokesperson Taylor Davids says they have gotten a lot of people using the food bank for the first time on Thanksgiving week.
Davids says Harvest Hope will be giving people the help they need even after the holidays
"We ask people to come back once every 30 days if possible," says Davids. "However, some people need that help for months, some need it for weeks, and some need it for years. It depends on everyone's situation."