Myrtle Beach’s Helping Hand Urgently Seeks Community Support Amid Rising Need

Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach in Need of Support

Myrtle Beach, S.C. – As we soak up the sunny weather with temperatures reaching a comfy 69 degrees today and a warm 79 degrees expected this Sunday, we’re reminded of the warmth that our community can provide to those in need. Right now, Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach is reaching out for just that—a helping hand!

This local non-profit organization has been doing incredible work feeding families who are struggling, and unfortunately, they find themselves running low on food supplies at the moment. Their mission is all about helping folks right here in our neighborhood, and even some families who have come down from Western North Carolina after facing hard times.

The Impact of Recent Events

After the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Helping Hand generously lent support to families in need, sending extra supplies like green beans, diapers, and toothbrushes to affected areas. While they still have some items in stock, the usual influx of donations has slowed to a trickle. Just last week, they didn’t receive any walk-in donations—something they heavily rely on. By the start of this week, pantry shelves and even meat refrigerators were nearly bare.

According to pantry coordinator, the situation has become increasingly pressing. “Since Helene, we’ve seen a significant rise in local need,” they said. In June, Helping Hands was helping 486 households, but now that number has soared to nearly 800 households in September! This includes veterans, single moms, folks who are homeless, and workers from the service industry who have struggled through a tough year. It’s a broad spectrum of people, all seeking a little extra support.

Community Comes Together

On Wednesday, hopes were lifted when Helping Hands made a call for help through social media. The response from the local community was heartwarming! Local businesses and churches stepped up; for example, Crazy Mason generously donated a whopping 600 pounds of food! And the next day, even more food came pouring in—over 1,044 pounds!

But don’t let those big numbers fool you. Despite these amazing contributions, the pantry still desperately needs more support. Helping Hands is working hard to provide more than 35,000 pounds of food each month. And with the increasing number of families relying on their services, even fully stocked shelves can run out in just a week!

Current Needs

Helping Hands has put out a call for specific items they urgently need. They are looking for canned meats like chicken, tuna, or spam, as well as staple items like cereal, oatmeal, and grits. But their biggest need is fresh meat. Unfortunately, due to the perishable nature of meat, they cannot accept those donations directly, and that means they have to purchase it themselves. As a result, monetary donations are also incredibly helpful right now.

So, if you’ve been looking for a way to give back to the community or to lend a helping hand, now is your chance! Whether it’s a few cans from your pantry or a small monetary donation, your contribution can make a huge difference in the lives of those in need.

Let’s rally together, Myrtle Beach! If you want to learn more about how you can help, just reach out to Helping Hand directly. Together, we can ensure that our neighbors don’t go hungry. 💙