June 6th, 2023 (Clinton, SC) – With Summer upon us, Thornwell is excited to announce several initiatives to support community families facing food insecurity. Historically, pockets of Clinton and Laurens County have been known as “food deserts,” or areas where it is difficult to buy affordable or good quality fresh food. According to Feeding America, Laurens County has a child food insecurity rate of 18.1%, which is higher than the national average, and families in this county experience an annual food budget shortfall of more than 4 million dollars.
Grab-N-Go Meals Returns
The return of daily Grab-N-Go meal pickups begins Monday, June 5th. This program is open to all children (in any nearby county) under the age of 18.
In partnership with the USDA, Grab-N-Go was initially developed as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Grab-N-Go meal program is designed to ease the parental burden by providing free healthy meals to children and ensuring children in the community will not go hungry. Since March 2020, Thornwell has served more than 160,000 meals and is committed to continuing these efforts daily during Summer 2023.
“Summer should be a time that children look forward to and not one that they fear because they do not know where the next meal might come from. We are so grateful to offer a program that takes that worry out of the minds of children and families,” said Director of Child Nutrition Food Service Alice James.
Daily Pickup Details:
- June 5th through July 28th
- Monday through Friday | 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Thornwell Dining Hall | 302 South Broad Street, Clinton, SC 29325
- Parents/Guardians can pick up breakfast and lunch for all qualifying children in their household.
- This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
For more information, please email Alice James at alice.james@thornwell.org.
Gleaning Day
The inaugural Gleaning Day will be held on June 27th across the city of Clinton. Gleaning Day is a neighbors-helping-neighbors initiative dedicated to serving and supporting families in our community facing summer food insecurity by providing fresh farm produce, canned foods, and healthy meal options to those who need extra support.
On June 27th, Families may pick up boxes at three pickup locations within the Clinton community:
• Community Gardens at United Way | 10am – 11am | 16 Peachtree St, Clinton, SC
• The Depot | 10am – 11am | 104 East Main Street, Clinton, SC
• LushAcres Farm | 5pm – 6pm | 1875 W. Maple Street Ext., Clinton, SC
Additionally, The SNAP-Ed Clemson Youth Learning Institute will be holding a cooking class from 6 pm to 7 pm on Gleaning Day at LushAcres Farm. In this quick class, families who picked up boxes are invited to learn how to turn a few simple ingredients into a delicious meal the whole family will love.
Special thanks are extended to the City of Clinton, Presbyterian College, and the United Way of Laurens County for their partnership in ensuring the success of Gleaning Day. From hosting and supporting canned drives to serving as host locations for box pickup, these organizations exemplify what it means for neighbors to serve and support neighbors.
“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to give back and make a difference in our community. It’s an honor to be a part of Thornwell’s meaningful mission, and we are excited to see what positive outcomes we can create together,” said Jacob Koch, Director of LushAcres Farm. “We hope our efforts will make a lasting impact on those in need, and we look forward to continuing our work in the future.”
SNAP and Healthy Bucks at LushAcres Farm
New at LushAcres Farm, the Market now accepts SNAP and Healthy Bucks – two programs that can help families purchase healthy and fresh foods. SNAP, which stands for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, is a federal initiative that provides monthly benefits to low-income households so that they can purchase healthy foods. As an official provider, LushAcres is committed to being an extension of Thornwell’s mission to “support healthy communities in the name of Jesus Christ.”
For more information, please visit http://lushacresfarm.com.
About Thornwell
Founded in 1875, Thornwell is a diverse non-profit ministry across South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida that serves to prevent child abuse and neglect, to build up and reunite families, and to support healthy communities in the name of Jesus Christ. Thornwell believes family changes everything in a child’s life. Thornwell addresses the welfare of children not as a singular event but as a comprehensive, ongoing cycle of services and support designed to help children and families, no matter what stage of life they’re in. Learn more about Thornwell and its services for children and families in need at http://thornwell.org.
