Channel the charitable spirit with the gift of a hot meal.
While many of us are planning to gather around feasts this holiday season, others are hungry and unsure of their next meal. It can be easy to take a warm meal for granted, but organizations across the Upstate are working to ensure everyone has access to regular and holiday meals. Here’s a bit about these organizations and how you can help give the gift of food security.
Community Spirit
Harvest Hope Food Bank
Volunteer with the organization that serves as a food hub by providing nearly 20 million annual meals to soup kitchens, shelters, food pantries, and schools in its service area. In addition to volunteering time, you can donate food or host a food drive.
218 White Horse Rd, Greenville. (864) 281-3995, harvesthope.org/get-involved
Mill Village Farms
Mill Village Farms aims to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to people who live in underresourced areas and without access to healthy quality food. To help with the FoodShare program, you can count, sort, and pack produce boxes. You can also volunteer at Mill Village Farms to help grow local, sustainable produce.
1186 Pendleton St, Greenville. (864) 351-8865, millcommunity.org/volunteer
Loaves and Fishes
As an organization, Loaves and Fishes recognizes the diverse issues that intersect with food insecurity, such as food trafficking, mental health, displacement, and incarceration. Along with providing people with food, they work with organizations that address the root causes of hunger. They are welcoming to and inclusive of everyone.
25 Woods Lake Rd, Suite 810 Greenville. (864) 232-3595, loavesandfishesgreenville.com/volunteer-3
Shine Soup Kitchen
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Shine Soup Kitchen serves a nutritious meal to people in Easley. The soup kitchen also serves as an entry point to redressing some of the core issues contributing to food insecurity. Volunteer opportunities include food donations, pick up, freezer and pantry organizing, cooking, and serving meals.
111 Hillcrest Dr, Suite B, Easley. info@soupshine.org, shinesoupkitchen.org/volunteer
Holiday Spotlight: Ellis and Bradley Turkey Fry For Miracle Hill
On Tuesday, November 22nd, Miracle Hill hosts its 16th Annual Turkey Fry at the Spartanburg Rescue Mission. The organization plans to fry and smoke more than 700 turkeys to feed 5,000 adults and children on this day. The event is only the beginning, as the organization plans to provide around 100,000 meals through the holiday season. This year, the organization stresses its need for donations of frozen turkeys to meet demand.
Donate frozen turkeys on November 11th–12th, 10am–noon at the following locations: Food Warehouse, 725 Keith Dr, Greenville. Spartanburg Rescue Mission, 189 N Forest Drive, Spartanburg. Visit miraclehill.org/events/turkey-fry for more information.
