Harvest Hope Food Bank

Partner agencies help the Food Bank provide hundreds of thousands of meals and groceries to low-income people in 20 counties throughout the Pee Dee, Greater Greenville, and Columbia Metro and surrounding areas of South Carolina. Currently the Food Bank serves over 400+ nonprofit partner agencies. These nonprofit organizations operate numerous programs ranging from emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, transitional homes, afterschool programs, and more.  Each partner agency has access to the Food Bank's inventory, educational programs, technical assistance and materials.

These services help our network:

• sustain and build on their services and capacity;
• make connections with experts on areas from technology and public policy to nutrition and funding;
• build a supply of training and educational materials that can benefit staff, volunteers and clients; and
• join a community where ideas and experiences are shared.

Join Our Network

Browse our membership criteria below. If you are interested in becoming a Food Bank network member, please review this list and contact our Agency Relations Department at (803) 254-4432 ext 1138 for Crystal Richardson, Agency Relations Coordinator or email crichardson@harvesthope.org or (803) 254-4432 ext 1102 for Erica Cheeks, Agency Relations Director or email echeeks@harvesthope.org.

• Your food assistance program must be located in an area of targeted recruitment as established by Harvest Hope Food Bank. This is done to make sure that the Food Bank's resources are allocated strategically into all neighborhoods with need throughout the five boroughs.

• Your organization is an established food program or distributor that has been in operation once a week for a period of at least three months. (Some exceptions may apply)

• Your food program is a tax-exempt organization as described in the 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service of the US Treasury Department. A copy of your organization's 501(c)(3) must be provided.

•  Your food program is registered with and in good standing with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.  A copy of your organization's 501(c)(3) must be provided.

• Your food program is located in a "community of need" or serves a special-needs population.

• Your food program agrees to provide the Food Bank with the names of individuals authorized to take full responsibility for the program's services, including board members, staff and volunteers.

• Your food program does not operate out of a personal residence.

• Your food program does not share space with programs from other organizations. Your storage area holds only those items issued for the use of your organization.

• Your food program serves South Carolinians in need, free of charge.

• Your food program does not and will not sell, transfer or barter items. (Transfer includes the removal of any Food Bank–delivered product from the approved site to any other location.)

• Your food program provides food free to all clients. Clients are not asked for donations or requested to participate in religious services to receive food.

• Your food program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious beliefs, age, disabilities, sex or sexual preference.

• Your food program keeps records of the number of people served and inventory-control records to monitor the food product. Proof of these records must be shown before membership is granted.

• Your food program maintains high standards of sanitation and food safety with regard to food storage, distribution and meal preparation.

• Your organization is willing to have its site(s) visited as needed by a representative of the Food Bank.

• Your food program agrees to complete meal-count reports on a monthly basis and submit to the Food Bank for purposes of reporting.

• Your food program agrees to provide the Food Bank with necessary information regarding any change in program/administrative location, primary staffing, structure etc. in a timely manner.

• Your food program practices active means of encouraging participation and utilization of your services to all segments of the community. (eg: outreach, flyers, etc.)

• Your food program maintains sufficient storage space to receive product.

• Your food program will have appropriate personnel present at your delivery location on the days of scheduled deliveries to receive products from the Food Bank.

• Your food program maintains at least one active email address and has regular access to the Internet, either on- or off-site.