SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Two local businesses and a church have come together to host a series of food drives to help the community during the coronavirus pandemic.
Heather Samson, owner of Beach Beads and Glass Studio in Surfside Beach says she wanted to give back after seeing many families struggling to put food on the table. She then asked the business and church located next door to her store for help.
Together, they raised enough money and collected food donations to give away dozens of boxes of groceries to anyone who needed one.
“I never thought my bead tables would be full of food, but it warms my heart and has surrounded me with giving people. We all need that right now. (Business has) been really slow, so it’s given me something to concentrate on and has kept me really busy,” Samson said.
Co-owner of Design on a Dime, Louanne Valleiri helped Samson collected donations.
“I personally sent out an email to my development that I live in, and they were very generous with the donations. I brought three car loads down just from my development alone, and then Heather has had people stopping by and dropping things off at the bead shop, so it’s really been a collective effort between a lot of people,” Valleiri said.
Despite their own struggle during the pandemic, the business owners say they felt the need to give back.
“It’s very tough as a business owner, because even though we could open now, we’re choosing not to open the store until we see not only a flattening of the curve, but I want to see a decline in the curve before we’re comfortable with reopening our store, which is very difficult as a business owner, so if you can’t open your store, why not help others who are suffering,” Valleiri said.
Samson plans to host the next food drive Saturday, May 2 from 11a.m. to 3p.m. To make a donation, click here.
