Dozens of Colleton County families were given a better start to their Thanksgiving Dinner last week through a large annual food drive that combined local businesses and individual residents in their giving efforts.
In all, more than 10,000 canned goods were donated to the annual Helping All Neighborhoods (HAN) food drive, which is sponsored by the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office. This year marked the 13th annual year that the sheriff’s office sponsored this event.
“We had over 10,000 canned goods donated and we donated seven bags of groceries and a necessities box to over 50 families,” said Colleton County Sheriff’s Office Spokeswoman Shalane Lowes.
According to Lowes, Northside Elementary School and its School Resource Officer James Brown raised the most canned goods for the food drive. Northside Elementary School collected 3,431 canned goods during a county-wide school competition that supported the food drive, she said.
The donated food was delivered on Nov. 22nd by sheriff’s deputies and firefighter-paramedics. Those who needed the food were identified through area first responders and members of the Colleton County Department of Social Services (DSS).
"We are doing this to combat hunger and to continue bringing comfort to the less fortunate in our area," said Sheriff Buddy Hill.
Business and community donors for the food drive include: Food Lion; Piggly Wiggly; Foodland; IGA; Wal-Mart; A Servant's Heart Ministry; Ace Hardware; Mt. Olive Baptist Church; and First Baptist Church of Walterboro.
Participants in the food drive include: DSS; Northside Elementary (3,431 cans); Cottageville Elementary; Forest Hills Elementary; Blackstreet Elementary; Hendersonville Elementary; the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office; and private Colleton residents.
"The Sheriff's Office collaborates with valued community members and businesses to receive donated goods and funding to support the cause," said Lowes in a previous interview.