Yesterday, Golden Harvest Food Bank (GHFB) kicked off a 10-month partnership with FoodShare
Bamberg. The partnership will help provide nutritious food to three rural counties in South Carolina.
To mark the beginning of this partnership, Golden Harvest and FoodShare held an inaugural packing and loading of fresh food boxes, followed by a distribution held at Amazing Grace Ministries in Denmark, SC. 300 food boxes were packed and distributed to families. Each household received a fresh food box consisting of bananas, broccoli, corn, onions, pineapples, tomatoes, and other produce items. Nearly 4000 pounds of food were distributed to families in need at the event.

"FoodShare Bamberg is excited to partner with Golden Harvest's investment in gifting FoodShare Bamberg fresh produce boxes to residents in Bamberg, Barnwell, and Allendale County. Through this partnership opportunity, FoodShare Bamberg will also be able to continue our mission: "Feeding a need in our community!" said Lara Buss, Director of FoodShare Bamberg. The Lower Savannah Council of Governments awarded Golden Harvest Food Bank a $180,000 grant through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The CDBG grant allows Golden Harvest to purchase 900 FoodShare fresh produce boxes a month over a ten-month period to distribute between its three “promise land” counties:
Bamberg, Barnwell, and Allendale. Each of the counties has a child food insecurity rate of over 30%, based on data provided by Feeding America.

“Golden Harvest Food Bank is grateful to be linking arms with the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, FoodShare Bamberg, and our partner agencies in response to food insecurity. This innovative partnership will allow families in our rural counties to enjoy fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables which are important for a healthy lifestyle,” said Amy Breitmann, President and CEO of Golden Harvest. According to Feeding America’s projections, around 2.2 million rural community households in the United States are currently struggling with hunger, and 1 in 7 people within the Food Bank’s 11,000 square mile service area.