SCE&G, Dominion are crucial partners for Harvest Hope

As board chairman of South Carolina’s largest food bank, I count on individuals, businesses and civic and faith partners to help us serve our neighbors in need across 20 counties. I am pleased to report that together we are making progress. In 2017, food insecurity decreased by 3 percent in Harvest Hope’s service area.

Feeding hungry people requires funds, food and volunteer hours from all aspects of our great state.

One of our longtime partners in fighting hunger is SCE&G, and one of our newest partners is Dominion Energy, which has proposed purchasing the utility and its parent SCANA.

Through corporate contributions, annual food drives, employee volunteer activities and support for emergency food needs and our child-feeding program, both SCANA and Dominion Energy have helped Harvest Hope Food Bank provide food, comfort and hope to hungry individuals and families.

In the past 20 years, SCE&G and SCANA have contributed food and funds equal more than 5 million meals. Dominion, in the past three years, has provided food and funds equal to 250,000 meals. And both organizations have encouraged their employees to volunteer a total of 8,791 hours, which is worth $202,808.

We are blessed with great supporters, who help us help people who do not know where else to turn.

The State publishes a cross section of the letters we receive from South Carolinians in order to provide a forum for our community and also to allow our community to get a good look at itself, for good or bad. The letters represent the views of the letter writers, not necessarily of The State.

This story was originally published February 8, 2018 at 11:05 AM with the headline "SCE&G, Dominion are crucial partners for Harvest Hope."