At Lowcountry Food Bank, community engagement helps us better understand the challenges our neighbors face and connect them with the food and resources they need to thrive. By listening directly to people in the communities we serve, building strong partnerships, and advocating for access to nutritious food for all, we work to address both the immediate hunger need for food and the root causes of food insecurity knowing that only by doing both can we end hunger in the Lowcountry.
Many individuals and families across coastal South Carolina are feeling the effects of government shutdowns and changes to SNAP benefits long after these changes take effect. These disruptions can make it harder to keep food on the table for everyone who relies on consistent income or benefits. Lowcountry Food Bank is committed to ensuring neighbors have access to nutritious food and critical community resources during times of uncertainty.
To better connect neighbors with support, we created the Lowcountry Community Resources Map, which helps individuals find food assistance as well as housing, legal, workforce, medical, and emergency financial resources throughout our communities.
We also conduct listening sessions and neighbor surveys in areas that experience the highest rates of food insecurity and have the fewest grocery stores to provide healthy food options. These conversations help us better understand barriers to access, distributes foods that neighbors want to eat – with cultural relevance, address transportation and scheduling challenges, and identify additional services neighbors may need beyond food assistance.
Collaboration is central to our work. We partner with and participate in community coalitions, like healthcare providers, schools, other nonprofits, and government agencies to connect neighbors to available resources and support collective efforts to address root causes of food insecurity. We share our expertise about providing food assistance. We also provide education about food safety, welcoming environments, SNAP outreach, and referral services to our partner food pantries and other community groups to strengthen support systems across the Lowcountry.
Lowcountry Food Bank recognizes that food insecurity is closely tied to broader Social Determinants of Health. Because limited access to healthy food contributes to higher rates of chronic illness, including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, we work to educate our pantry and community partners about these challenges, and we work to improve long-term health outcomes alongside food access.
We also advocate for a hunger-free Lowcountry by supporting policies and programs that strengthen nutrition assistance and improve food access for all. In alignment with Feeding America’s advocacy efforts, we support initiatives such as universal free school meals, SNAP access, and federal nutrition programs that help children, seniors, veterans, and working families.
Through mobile food distributions, Kids Café programs, and outreach to elected officials and community leaders, we work to remove barriers that prevent neighbors from accessing the food they need. Additionally, we encourage individuals who experience food insecurity to utilize available community resources without hesitation.
In partnership with Feeding the Carolinas and the Feeding America network, we help leverage food and financial resources across North and South Carolina, advocate around the root causes of hunger, work to strengthen connections between food and health, and always make sure we’re prepared to respond to the communities we serve during times of crisis.
Through collaboration, advocacy, and direct community connection, Lowcountry Food Bank remains committed to building a stronger, healthier, and more food-secure Lowcountry. By listening to our neighbors and working alongside partners across the region, we strive to ensure every individual and family has access to the food, resources, and support they need to thrive.
About the Lowcountry Food Bank: Feed. Advocate. Empower.
Lowcountry Food Bank serves the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina and distributed more than 42 million pounds of food in 2025. The Lowcountry Food Bank helps fight hunger by distributing food to nearly 240 partner agencies, including on-site meal programs, homeless shelters, and emergency food pantries. The Lowcountry Food Bank advocates on behalf of those who experience food insecurity and helps empower people to make healthy and nutritious food choices. For more information, visit the Lowcountry Food Bank website.
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