Opportunities Abound To Help School-Age Children Through ‘Love Feeds’

School Lunch. It’s the last meal of the day during the week for some children in Dillon County. Then a child goes home from school and gets hungry, but the cabinets are bare and the refrigerator is empty. Funds are tight in the home. The parents are barely able to make ends meet, and there is no extra money for food once the light bills, rent, and medical bills are paid. Weekends are even more difficult as students don’t have the opportunity for breakfast and lunch as they do during the school day. It’s another day that another child goes hungry, and unfortunately, it is not an uncommon circumstance.

Some are part of families who receive food stamps, and may not be able to make it to the end of the month on the meager amount; however, not all hungry children are part of the welfare system. Many are in the gap where their hardworking parents are struggling, and they do not qualify for benefits. Many are too embarrassed to ask for help.
One in six children in the United States are victims of food insecurity not knowing where their next meal is coming from. Statistics also show that one in five children eat their last meal of the day at school. In Dillon School District Four, 90 percent of the student population is eligible for free and reduced lunch meaning that many find themselves struggling with food insecurity on a daily basis.

Many children who do not have enough food have a difficult time doing well in school due to a lack of enough food. Hunger has devastating effects on children including physical and mental development, behavioral problems and challenges, and all of this often leads to a child taking actions that could be detrimental to his or her future. The struggle is real, and children with hunger issues at an early age often feel the impacts for the rest of their lives.

That’s where Love Feeds comes in to help. Love Feeds is a non-profit organization that works to provide weekend meals to children in the Dillon County Schools. Love Feeds wants all children to have the same opportunity for educational success; therefore, a good start to this is minimizing the destructive effects of hunger by providing weekly bags for children in need.
Students who receive the bags are identified by their teachers and guidance counselors as needing additional food. Schools that are currently in the program are South Elementary School, Stewart Heights Elementary School, East Elementary School, Lake View Elementary School, Dillon Middle School, Lake View High School, Dillon High School, and the Dillon County Alternative School. Other churches serve the students at Gordon Elementary School and the Latta Schools.
Love Feeds hopes to encourage children through these bags by not only addressing their hunger, but by sending a message that there are many in the community who want the very best for them. Love Feeds began their mission in August, 2017. By May, 2018, Love Feeds provided over 200 bags per week to students, and the need is growing. They are currently packing approximately 280 bags per week during this school year.
How can you help? There are many ways to get involved:
* Support one or more children by donating to Love Feeds, 110 East Roosevelt Street, Dillon, S.C. 29536. You may do this on an individual basis as part of a church, club, or other organization. The cost to support one child for the entire school year is $110.00; however, donations of any amount are appreciated. Make checks payable to Love Feeds.
* Give a donation in memory or honor of someone. What better way to honor someone than by sponsoring a child or multiple children. Donation cards are available at Herald Office Solutions.
* Host a food drive. Love Feeds will be happy to provide a list of specific needed food items. E-mail lovefeedssc@gmail.com for a current list.
* Sign up to help pack bags or join a committee. Volunteers are welcomed and needed. Packing days are held on a monthly basis.
Individuals, civic groups, churches, and others are invited to help make a difference in the life of a child that will have a lasting impact.
Prayerfully consider making a donation, volunteering, or both. For more information, e-mail lovefeedssc@ gmail.com.

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