The program was set up in the elementary schools and our organization provided money to purchase food from a local food bank, which in turn packed 4 meals in the back packs for the 350 students we served. Our volunteers picked up the packs at the Golden Harvest Food Bank and delivered them to the public elementary schools in Pickens County, SC. Guidance Counselors then handled the distribution on a confidential basis. Today we serve elementary, middle, high school, and the career center students in Pickens County.
Currently volunteers raise money through fundraisers, grants, going to festivals and promoting awareness, and a designated Sunday in May for a special offering in churches for this program and pleas to local businesses.
Nine years later we are serving about 600 students with anticipation of adding another middle school in the 2019-2020 school year.
Our annual budget is currently $150,000 per year. Ninety-six percent of the income goes directly to feeding the children with 4% overhead for utilities, promotional material, and a part-time administrative assistant. The monthly cost to feed the students is $15,000 each month from the middle of August to the beginning of June.
Our success depends on the communities, businesses, and volunteers in Pickens County.