MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – This weekend marks 30 years since Hurricane Hugo made landfall in the Carolinas and out of the destruction, one charity in Myrtle Beach was created.
Barb Mains says she, her sister and her friend formed Help 4 Kids without realizing it 30 years ago after doing some volunteer work following Hugo.
She says the women were surprised to see the kind of conditions people in Horry County were living in; things such as holes in roofs and tattered shoes that were issues for families long before the storm.
Now, Help 4 Kids serves about 1,800 kids every weekend across 36 schools in Horry County.
Volunteers pack meals that are delivered every week for teachers to place in the backpacks of students in need so they have food for the weekend.
In addition to the back pack buddies program, they supply everything from hygiene products and clothes, to field trip funds for students.
Bridget Brancado is a volunteer at the organization and works to organize fundraising efforts for Help 4 Kids, she tells News13 they get calls daily about more kids in need.
“Every day we get emails from parents, “I just lost my job or I have no food for my child how do I get them engaged,”” Brancado said. “We just had a new school call and they need 115 meals every weekend for their students.”
Brancado says, while their goal is to make sure no child in Horry County goes without, ultimately they want to break the cycle of poverty.
“If these kids come to school hungry, or look different or have holes in their shoes, they can’t focus on their education, and getting an education and going to college and getting a good job, or getting a trade or being able to support their family in the next generation,” Brancado says. “I’m certain that your children go to school with all these children.”
Each third Saturday of the month Help 4 Kids does a drive at three Walmarts in our area (Garden City, Surfside Beach, North Myrtle Beach).
The organization is completely run by volunteers and they are always looking for more people to get involved. For more information on becoming a volunteer, click here.
