CALHOUN COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) – FoodShare South Carolina, in partnership with Calhoun CommuniT launched its latest hub in Calhoun County, bringing affordable and accessible fruits and vegetables to the community.
New hub brings affordable fresh produce to community facing food insecurity(WIS)
Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to and the lack of presence of food that makes up a complete diet.
Around 14% of the population in Calhoun County is considered food insecure. With the opening of this hub, families can now purchase a locally sourced 16-pound box of fresh fruits and vegetables for $4 for EBT and SNAP holders or $20 cash for anyone else.
New hub brings affordable fresh produce to community facing food insecurity(WIS)
“I like to tell folks, for someone that may be paying cash. Say maybe it costs $30, $35 dollars to get what we have in a box at the grocery store, well that $10, $15 dollars may be able to help you put gas right in your tank to get to your job or gas to be able to go to a doctors appointment or those things that you may struggle with otherwise,” said Ashley Page Bookhart, director of programs and rural outreach for FoodShare South Carolina. “So I really think that we focus on fruits and vegetables but certainly that impact and that ripple effect impacts so much more for families that we serve.”
Limited grocery options
Organizers said the hub is about ensuring accessibility, as residents said the only grocery store in the town of Saint Matthews is a Piggly Wiggly.
“That’s it, one store,” said Eleanor Keller, a Calhoun County resident.
For residents in this community, it’s more than just a box of food.
“I actually pick up some boxes, and pay for some boxes for people who don’t have Cashapp, and take the boxes to them once we get them every other week, so I’m trying to spread groceries that people need, that they’re desperate for raw, unprocessed foods to as many people as we can get them to,” said Deborah Hormon, a Calhoun County resident.
New hub brings affordable fresh produce to community facing food insecurity(WIS)
Hormon said the program is a matter of ensuring her overall health and well-being.
“My husband and I are in better health than we have been and we’re, I’m almost 60 and so it makes a difference. It’s keeping us healthy, it’s stuff we don’t have access to, so it’s nothing for me to drive over here and get that. I will continue to it, I think it’s a great program for anybody,” Hormon said.
According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control in 2022, 42% of South Carolina adults did not consume fruit at least once a day, surpassing the national median of 40%.
The statistics not only highlight the need but also show food insecurity is a growing issue in South Carolina.
“When people were not receiving their EBT assistance or vouchers and then they couldn’t use them that became a crisis in our community and so then we talked about how we could continue to have people have access to food,” said Helen Carson, Calhoun County mayor.
This is the 24th hub for FoodShare and their hope is to put more across the entire state.
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