Harvest Hope is South Carolina’s largest food bank, providing over 25 million meals on average to neighbors in need across the Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate.
Harvest Hope is on a mission to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in South Carolina. We rescue nutritious food from stores throughout the state and distribute it to food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens. We operate programs that provide food for our most vulnerable citizens – children, seniors, and rural residents who don’t have access to grocery stores. We also run our own emergency food pantries in Greenville and Columbia where anyone in need can get a week’s supply of groceries for free.
Harvest Hope began in 1981 as the result of a shared vision of business leaders and the faith community, who set out to provide for the hungry in Columbia. Since then, Harvest Hope has increased its mission to feed the hungry across 20 counties in South Carolina.
Who We Help
Harvest Hope provides food for organizations across the state who serve families in need, with special allocations for our most vulnerable residents, including children, seniors, and people in rural areas without access to grocery stores.
Our mission is to transform lives in the communities we serve by feeding the hungry, addressing food insecurity and building a healthy and hopeful hunger-free tomorrow.
Getting food from here to there
Moving tons of food is a big job...this is how we make sure everyone can get their basic needs met.
Food Rescue
We collect foods that would otherwise go into a landfill for various reasons. This is NOT expired food…it is safe, edible food that has not yet made it to someone’s plate.
Inspection
All donated food must pass strict food safety guidelines before distribution. Everything is hand sorted and inspected at Harvest Hope by staff and volunteers.
Transportation
We box and distribute 22.6 million meals annually through churches, schools, government agencies, backpack programs, and mobile food pantries.
Distribution
Food pantries are places where local residents can go to get food on a regular basis. Harvest Hope can help connect you with a food pantry near you.
At Harvest Hope, our work is built on our core values:
Social Justice - We commit to addressing the root causes of hunger and advocating for social justice and the common good because we believe that access to safe, sufficient, nutritious food is a basic human right, and because we believe that empowered people and their communities thrive.
Respect - We recognize the inherent worth and dignity of every person and treat all with equity and compassion.
Integrity - We act with honesty, trust, and transparency, and deliver on our commitments.
Collaboration - We collaborate to build strong relationships and partnerships with a diversity of people and organizations who share our vision of a healthy, hunger-free community, even as we acknowledge the need to balance the individual good with the greater good.
Innovation - We strive to continuously improve our service to our clients and communities, because the urgent need to feed hungry people and adequately address the root causes of hunger requires entrepreneurial creativity and enduring optimism to find and scale what works.
Accountability - We maintain the public trust through the efficient and effective use and stewardship of the resources entrusted to us, and we are mindful that our mission is accomplished through the generosity of others.
Excellence - We promise to excel in the delivery of our services and commitments because our clients, stakeholders, and communities deserve our very best.
Peek inside our warehouse...
Take a two-minute video tour to see behind the scenes in our food recovery and distribution centers!
Enough to Eat
Over 678,000 people in South Carolina struggle with hunger and food insecurity. An unexpected job loss or medical issue can quickly become a financial emergency. People need a way to meet their most basic human needs while they cope with a crisis – otherwise, there’s a chance that poverty could become permanent and entrenched.
FAQs
Please call your local branch if you don't see your question answered below.
- What's the difference between a food bank and a food pantry?
A food bank collects, sorts, and distributes food to food pantries. A food pantry provides groceries directly to hungry people.
Harvest Hope is both. We are South Carolina's largest food bank, distributing millions of pounds of food throughout the state each year. We also operate two food pantries, in Greenville and Columbia, that provide clients with a supply of food.Our mission is to eliminate hunger and food insecurity, which affects almost 700,000 people in South Carolina.
- What are your hours of operation?
Columbia Location:
Our warehouse is open Monday - Thursday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, and on Friday from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. Please call us if you are unable to get to our warehouse during these hours. Donations are accepted during these hours.Florence Location:
Our warehouse is open Monday - Thursday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, and on Friday from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. Please call us if you are unable to get to our warehouse during these hours. Donations are accepted during these hours.Greenville Location:
Our warehouse is open Monday - Thursday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, and on Friday from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. Please call us if you are unable to get to our warehouse during these hours. Donations are accepted during these hours.- How do I get to Harvest Hope?
Columbia Location:
We are located at 2220 Shop Road, near the intersection of Shop and South Beltline. If you take I-77, we are at Exit 6 (going toward Charleston) or Exit 6B (going toward Charlotte). Turn right off of exit 6, or continue going straight off of exit 6B. We are less than a mile down Shop Road on your right. If you are coming from downtown, take Assembly Street towards Williams-Brice Stadium. Veer left on to Shop Road just before the Stadium. We are about 3 miles down on the left.Florence Location:
We are located at 2701 Alex Lee Boulevard in Florence, SC, just off I-95.Greenville Location:
We are located at 2818 White Horse Road in Greenville, SC. If you take I-85 to exit 44 and take White Horse Rd (Hwy 25) towards Travelers Rest our facility is located approximately 2.5 miles down on the right.- How can I volunteer?
Volunteers are the heart of Harvest Hope and are always welcome! We rely on our volunteers in many areas: in Product Rescue to sort, clean and repackage food; in the Emergency Food Pantry to conduct client interviews, answer telephones, and package food; and in the community during special events and food drives. Our dedicated volunteers allow us to operate efficiently and maintain a minimal paid staff. For individual and group volunteer opportunities, please contact the following staff members or check out our volunteer opportunities online.
- Do you have volunteer opportunities on the weekends?
We are open Monday through Friday and two Saturdays a month, as well as occasional special events that require volunteers on weekends. Please reach out to the volunteer coordinator in your area listed above for opportunities.
- I hunt. Can I donate that meat?
Yes! As long as the meat goes through an approved processor we are happy to take it. Those processors are: Brice Corbitts County Market (Cayce), Peach Orchards Processing (Dalzell,) or 601 Deer Processing (Ft. Motte). You may also call BUCKMASTERS at (800) 250-2825 for more information.
- When is Harvest Hope’s Emergency Food Pantry open?
Please visit the Get Help page for more information.
- Can someone from Harvest Hope come speak to my group?
Yes! Please fill out our speaker request form.
- Does Harvest Hope support community events with donations?
Yes, we are happy to support community events as we are able! Please fill out our donation request form and a Harvest Hope representative will be in touch.
- Where can I access your organization's non-profit certification documents?
You can review our Audited Financials here, our Form 990 here, and our 501c3 letter here.