FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) – The nonprofit organization in Florence, Help 4 Kids, raised $22,500 since Thanksgiving to help pay for meals for children across the county.
President of Help 4 Kids, Diane Welsh, said the money will equate to an extra 865 meals for children in Florence elementary schools.
“In Florence County we have 22.4 percent of the children are what we call food insecure,” Welsh said. “That means sometimes they have food and sometimes they don’t.”
She said 8,170 Florence children don’t always have a guaranteed meal.
“We are now feeding 2,180 kids a week so we feel like we’re making a difference,” said Welsh.
Welsh teared up as she spoke about what the organization means to her.
“This is my heart, I’m a teacher and I have children that had problems because they didn’t have enough to eat,” she said as she got emotional. “It’s just a travesty that in 2017 we have children who don’t have enough to eat.”
Teachers from different Florence County school districts said Help 4 Kids has helped children in their schools tremendously.
Principal of J C Lynch Elementary School, Dr. Matthew Scandrol, said he hands out 86 bags from the organization each week. He said the children look forward to their food for the weekend every Friday at school.
“We see our kids come in in the morning and you can tell when they’ve eaten and when they haven’t,” Dr. Scandrol said. “Help 4 Kids has been amazing and when they [the students] go home, we know they’ve got food over the weekend and some of it will sustain them through the week.”
Jill Russell teaches at Delmae Heights Elementary School. She said like Dr. Scandrol, she has also seen students get excited for their bags from Help 4 Kids every week.
“They’re excited to know that they have something to take home with them for the weekend and I really think it helps with not having them be worried about where they’re going to get their next meal,” said Russell.
Russell said the organization has made a big impact on both students and teachers in elementary schools in each district.
“Money should not be an issue when it comes to food,” Russell said. “We so often don’t think about what students do when they’re not at school with us during the day and it’s important that they have food to be able to give them energy and sustain them over the weekend when they might not otherwise get all of their meals.”
Welsh said the organization is close to heart and she hopes to continue to see it grow.
“I think it’s our responsibility to make every effort for them to grow up with love in their hearts and not hate,” the President of the organization said. “As a society we need to rally around and give to people that are right here in our community because these kids are our future.”
Help 4 Kids will host “Rally Around Childhood Hunger” beginning Jan. 14th until Jan 21st. The organization will is asking for vienna sausage to be donated because more than four thousand cans are given out each week.
Cans of vienna sausage can be dropped off at bins at any KJ’s Market, First Citizens Bank, and First Reliance Bank in Florence County.
If you would like to volunteer or donate to Help 4 Kids you can go to www.help4kidsflorence.org
