Callison Tighe gives $10,000 to help Harvest Hope Food Bank feed Central SC
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Callison Tighe & Robinson has contributed $10,000 to Harvest Hope Food Bank, marking the second year in a row that the law firm has reached out during the holiday season to people in need.
The donation will help hungry families in the 20 central South Carolina counties Harvest Hope serves.
“South Carolina has the second highest unemployment rate in the country and over 20% of our children go to bed hungry every night,” Callison Tighe partner Rick Detwiler said. “Unfortunately, these are not new statistics for our state. Individually, many of our lawyers and staff contribute to Harvest Hope throughout the year, but as we celebrate this season of hope and thankfulness, we felt that our firm should make this contribution in the hope that it will encourage others to extend a hand to our neighbors who are struggling each day just to get by.”
For Harvest Hope, $10,000 means 70,000 more pounds of food can be provided to those in need, Harvest Hope Chief Executive Director Denise Holland said. And 87 pounds of food helps a poor person stay nourished through a month, after food stamps run out.
“Harvest Hope is grateful for community partners such as Callison Tighe, who help us fulfill our mission to feed hungry people across South Carolina,” Holland said. “This generous donation marks the second year Callison Tighe and the firm’s partners have proven their commitment to the community.”
According to the nonprofit Feeding America, more than 12 million children in the United States are “food insecure” – unable to consistently access adequate amounts of nutritious food necessary for a healthy life. That number includes 20.7 percent of South Carolina’s children ages 5 and younger and 20.2 percent ages 18 and younger. Those statistics put South Carolina in the top 10 in the country in both categories.
Detwiler pointed out that Harvest Hope served 3.1 million people in 2009. “More than half of their clients said they’ve had to choose between paying for food and paying their utilities. That’s a sad, sad statistic,” he said.
Harvest Hope helps fight hunger through a variety of programs, ranging from emergency food pantries to distribution of commodity foods. Harvest Hope also operates a mobile food pantry for those living in communities without access to the organization’s regular food pantries, and it helps with programs that provide for children after school and during times when school isn’t in session.
About Harvest Hope Food Bank
Harvest Hope Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Beginning in 1981 as an emergency food box program, Harvest Hope is now a regional distribution program that collects, stores and distributes food and related items to more than 400 qualified agencies engaged in feeding needy, elderly and ill families and children in 20 counties in central South Carolina.
To make a donation to Harvest Hope, go tohttp://www.harvesthope.org/ and click on “Donate Now,” or call (803) 254-4432.