WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Harvest Hope in last-minute push for Thanksgiving food donations

Harvest Hope in last-minute push for Thanksgiving food donations

By Jillian Capobianco - bio | email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Many people and charities continue to struggle, especially now that Thanksgiving is less then two weeks away.

Harvest Hope Food Bank held a canned food drive outside Williams-Brice Stadium during the USC-Florida game, but Harvest Hope is still in a lot of need. They've seen over a 100-percent increase in demand, and they need to raise $20,000 in the next eight days to make ends meet.

Packing up food for others like him, James Cowans is an Army Veteran who has been coming to Harvest Hope Food Bank for years. Saturday was his first day of giving back.

"Helping those who are helping me," said Cowans.

Cowans' timing couldn't be better. The economy is putting Harvest Hope in a major crunch, especially before the Holidays

"We've see a 104% increase over the last year," said Tina Torres, a volunteer assistant at Harvest Hope.
     
Torres says in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the food bank expects to get more than 500 families in need of food each day.

"If people continue to give at the rate they're giving now, there will be many families who will not be able to feed their families this Thanksgiving," said Torres.

Harvest Hope needs a lot of things to make ends meet over the holiday. One of them is meat to put on people's table. They are also hoping to raise $20,000 before Thanksgiving.

"Try to just reach a little deeper," said Torres. "Believe it or not, it means something for people if they can sit down and have a meal."

That's something Cowans knows firsthand.

"If everybody does there part and help out with a little bit, when it's time to help everybody gets help," he said.

Continue to come out to donate your can foods at food drives, and then drive over to Harvest Hope and drop off a Thanksgiving turkey, ham or pot roast to feed all of the families in need this season.

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