UNSUNG HEROES: Orangeburg non-profit steps up with food during pandemic – KPVI News 6

UNSUNG HEROES: Orangeburg non-profit steps up with food during pandemic – KPVI News 6

For many throughout The T&D Region, access to healthy foods is a challenge.

The challenge was heightened during the coronavirus pandemic.

“During the lockdowns, access to food became an issue,” said Jim Johnson, president of ACE Basin Growers (ABG). “Many at-risk people had issues traveling to grocery stores and accessing healthy food.”

ABG is a non-profit organization with a two-pronged mission to assist local farmers in being more successful and to get fresh fruits and vegetables to people with limited access in rural communities and food deserts.

“At times, food was not readily available in some stores,” Johnson said. “The mission of ABG and Foodshare Orangeburg has always been to serve people who have access issues to healthy food and it became highlighted during the pandemic.”

ABG was established years ago to operate as a food hub for agricultural producers in the Edisto River watershed and ACE Basin counties of South Carolina.

The entity was formed by the Center for Food Marketing and Agribusiness through the efforts of the Small Business Development Center and South Carolina State School of Business and is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The ABG operates the Foodshare Orangeburg program, which sells boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables with 10-12 varieties in each box with a focus on SNAP/EBT recipients. 

During the height of the pandemic, ABD partnered with community organizations to distribute free boxes of produce.

One of these was the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Food Banks program.

The SCDA partnered with the S.C. Advocates for Agriculture to create the Farmers to Food Banks program in June 2020.

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For the Orangeburg Foodshare program, the SCDA paid for boxes to be distributed with money donated by companies and individuals. The Orangeburg Food Hub received $22,300 through two rounds of funding for a total of 892 food boxes.

It was one of nine distributors the SCDA helped to fund.

These boxes had 100% locally grown produce like lettuce, cucumbers and peppers for delivery to sites in Berkeley, Orangeburg and Calhoun counties, working with Harvest Hope Food Bank.

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ABG served approximately 1,200 families through that program.

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“Our partnership with ACE Basin Growers during the pandemic shows just how important it is to support local food systems,” S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said. “As a food hub, ACE Basin has formed connections with area farmers — so even as the food supply chain was strained by COVID-19, ACE Basin was able to efficiently buy from farmers and supply fresh produce to those in need.”

“As a part of the Orangeburg County community myself, I deeply appreciate the work these folks do for our neighbors,” Weathers said. “I had the opportunity to visit the FoodShare Orangeburg facility while they were boxing up fresh local produce purchased using donations to the Farmers to Food Banks program. It was a moving example of how everyone used their expertise and hard work to get us through.”

Across all nine distributors, through three rounds of funding, Farmers to Food Banks supported 33 farms and distributed 20,959 boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Other organizations that helped distribute food for the ABG included: Tri-County Health Network, Orangeburg County Library, Save the Children, Growing COB, Cooperative Church Ministries of Orangeburg, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Calhoun County Library and various other groups.

Johnson said the pandemic inspired many volunteers.

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“About 15 volunteers and four staff members have worked to operate the Foodshare Orangeburg program for the past couple of years but over the pandemic, hundreds of volunteers came together through the various organizations and programs to help offer food access during that critical time of need,” he said.

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Foodshare volunteer DeBorah Jamison has been with the program for the past two years.

“I volunteered with Foodshare because I think it is necessary to be able give back to the community especially in times of crisis,” Jamison said. “Coming up with the drive-thru process where we started out working with it, I think that helped to take away some of the fear.”

Jamison said she has chosen to sacrifice her life for others because that is what she is called to do as a Christian.

“The text says, ‘When I was hungry, you fed me and when I was naked you clothed me,'” she said. “It is my responsibility as a believer to be able to give back and contribute to people in general. It does not matter who people are. We have had people come through from every socioeconomic condition.”

She said the program not only helps those who are SNAP recipients but also those who want to buy boxes to just help out.

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Pastor Icelene Prince belongs to the Faith, Love and Restoration Outreach and has been giving out boxes — sometimes 25 at a time — to anyone in need but primarily to those considered essential workers.

“We all got a need,” said Prince, who has been delivering Foodshare boxes since November 2020. “We need the fruits and we need the veggies. All that was to help our immune system to keep us well and to keep us going to fight back against COVID.”

Prince is helped with 10-grade High School for Health Professions student Justin Simpson. He helps her lift the boxes.

“I think it is very useful and it is a good need for the community — their stuff is always fresh and they have it organized,” Prince said. “The ones that we service are all well pleased. They look forward to it.”

ABG purchases produce from local farms when it is available and in season.

Some farms that participated in the program included: Hickory Bluff Berry Farm in Holly Hill, Edisto Blueberries in St. Matthews, William Hughes in Cordova, and various other farmers throughout the Lowcountry and Midlands.

“During the pandemic, an awareness of local food increased due to the focus on the food system, and a fear that a centralized food system may fail the public,” Johnson said. “This interest caused an increase in buying food from local farmers. ABG has always supported local farmers by buying their goods for the Foodshare box.”

​Any agricultural producer is eligible to be a member of ACE Basin Growers. There are no fees.

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The Foodshare program offers access to healthy food at an affordable price. 

“We value our produce box at $25 retail, but it only costs $15 and if you have EBT, it only costs $5,” Johnson said. “The state Healthy Bucks program covers the remainder of the EBT transaction. Through the increased consumption of health produce, the community will see better health outcomes.”

Anyone can order a Foodshare Box by going to www.foodsahreorangeburg.org or calling 803-378-0563.

Boxes are distributed every two weeks at the old Department of Social Services building next to the YMCA on St Matthews Road. 

The program is offered year-round. 

The program continues to need volunteers to sort and pack boxes of produce; to distribute and deliver boxes; to unload and sort; work with local farmers to buy produce; as well other tasks to administer the program and keep up the facilities.

Monetary donations are also welcome and checks can be made payable to: ACE Basin Growers, P.O. Box 2394, Orangeburg, SC 29116.

Published at Sat, 12 Jun 2021 23:00:00 +0000