COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) recognizes the importance of those who operate food banks and pantries across the state during National Food Bank Day, Friday, September 5, 2025, and encourages those who can to donate items of non-perishable food to a local food bank or pantry soon.
According to Feeding America, a nonprofit dedicated to overcoming hunger across the United States, one in 7 South Carolinians — including 1 in 6 children — are food insecure, meaning they are unable to access adequate food necessary for a healthy life. Local food banks are one way to help combat hunger.
Over the summer, DPH’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program donated 374 pounds of food to Harvest Hope Food Bank in Columbia. The donated items were purchased as part of the program’s annual compliance assessment, in which staff purchase items from WIC-authorized vendors to ensure retailers are following WIC state rules and federal regulations. The food donated by WIC provided 449 meals for families in South Carolina…