25% of Wadmalaw Island's population (3,000) and 15% of Johns Island's population (22,000) live below the poverty level. That is over 4,000 people who struggle with hunger here on the sea islands. The Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation was formed from a desire to ensure consistent, dependable and healthy food for people in need.
FIGHTING ISLAND HUNGER
WITH HEALTHY FOOD AND CLEAN WATER ONE MEAL AT A TIME
ABOUT US
The Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation (SIHAF) is a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of S.C. since December 22, 2014. It is an all-volunteer cooperation with the mission of fighting island hunger and providing clean water for the residents of Johns and Wadmalaw Islands.
SIHAF was the vision of our current president/founder, Shirley Salvo, who wanted to create an organization to facilitate the raising of funds to support all the charitable groups attempting to feed the hungry on the two sea islands.
Presently, SIHAF does coordinate fund raising and food distribution with 12 partners as well as operate 3 programs, Sea Islands Blessing Basket, the Water Wellness Mission and Crockpot Cooking.
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BLESSING BASKET
The Blessing Basket is an outreach program sponsored by the Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation and serves low-income individuals and families on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. The goal is to provide healthy, nourishing desirable groceries, fresh produce, meat, eggs and bread to help alleviate the problem of hunger among our neighbors in need. The second Saturday of each month approximately 300 baskets are distributed at 2389 Bohicket Road.
For more information, Click Here or contact Shirley Salvo at 843-709-1406.
WATER WELLNESS
For most of us, household water is so readily available that we barely think about it. Sadly, for many people on Johns and Wadmalaw Island this is not the case. Many Homes are forced to purchase or live without clean water every day. Water Wellness Mission helps those in need by installing individual water wells and filtration systems at their home.
CROCKPOT COOKING
Elementary and middle school students on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands receive hands-on instructions from Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation (SIHAF) volunteers as they learn to prepare healthy, nutritious meals in a crockpot. Upon completion of the classes each student receives a crock pot, measuring cups and spoons, spices, a Crock Pot Recipe Booklet and a Certificate of Participation. The program will begin its fifth year in fall of 2021 and has served 232 students.
To volunteer or for additional information please contact Director Barbara Griffin at griffib@clemson.edu.
PROGRAMS
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
AMOR HEALING KITCHEN
AMOR Healing Kitchen is a 501c3 organization that provides weekly home delivery of healthy meals to people facing serious health challenges on the Sea Islands as well as the greater Charleston area. The program is offered for 8-16 weeks, free or reduced cost for those in need. We bring the area's youth into our kitchen to teach them valuable culinary skills, nutrition knowledge, and the value of service as they play a huge role in preparing our meals.
Visit www.amorhealingkitchen.org for volunteer opportunities or find out how to enroll in receiving our deliveries or gifting our program to a loved one.
BACKPACK BUDDIES SEABROOK ISLAND
Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island (BPBSI) is an all-volunteer non-profit charity founded in 2014. Its mission is to feed hungry children living below the poverty level attending Charleston County Public schools. Nutritious food and snacks are provided each weekend so that the children can return to school each Monday ready to learn without hunger. For additional information please contact Bill Greubel at 843-302-2278.
Click Here to learn more.
FIELDS TO
FAMILIES
Fields to Families serves as a link between local farms and community organizations who help feed the hungry. They contact farmers and farmers markets that have excess vegetables, fruits and eggs. Volunteers are mobilized to glean fields, pickup excess produce and deliver to the programs and partners of SIHAF as well as other locations in the Lowcountry.
THE HEBRON ZION EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY
The Hebron Zion Emergency Food Pantry located at 2915 Bohicket Rd, Johns Island, SC operates a weekly 60-Day Emergency Food Pantry that provides food for a short period of time to families and individuals who are in need of emergency food. The pantry serves the community on Wednesday and Thursday weekly from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
For additional information contact Kathy Green or the Church at
843-559-0865.
THE HEBRON ZION SENIOR CITIZENS MINISTRY
This program provides a hot luncheon meal every Wednesday to Senior citizens at the church hall. In addition, the program provides nutritional and recent medical information pertaining to diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, sleep apnea, gout, etc. The Seniors also receive a special Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meal.
For additional information contact Kathy Green or the Church at
843-559-0865.
MEALS
ON
MONDAY
Meals on Monday is a program sponsored by Rockville Presbyterian church that prepares and delivers a hot nutritious meal and supplemental groceries to low-income seniors and disabled persons who reside on Wadmalaw island. They are presently serving 100 meals each Monday.
For additional information contact Susan Cason at 843-559-1056.
MEALS
ON
WHEELS
Meals on Wheels (meals to the Sea Islands) is a program of Charleston Area Senior Citizens, 259 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401. The goal of all of CASA’s programs is to provide services that allow seniors to stay in their homes and age with dignity. The program currently delivers an average of 40 home-delivered meals, Monday - Friday on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands with an increasing need for expansion. The meals include a hot entrée, milk, bread and fruit.
For more information, Click here or call 843.722.4127.
NEW WEBSTER JOHNS ISLAND PARISH FOOD PANTRY
New Webster Johns Island Parish Food Pantry opened in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic to respond to the increased poverty on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. The Food Pantry is open the third and fourth Saturday of each month from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. at 4755 Bears Bluff Road, Wadmalaw Island and serves an average of 125 families monthly. New Webster JIP cooperates with the Lowcountry Food Bank and other SIHAF partners to provide healthy food choices for the economically challenged residents on the sea islands.
For additional information contact Rev. Pattie Gordon – 404-387-9514.
ST JAMES BETHEL FOOD
PANTRY
St. James Bethel A.M.E. Church is honored to offer a Food Pantry to assist residents of Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island who may be experiencing nutritious food deficiencies as a result of job loss, health issues or limited income. The food pantry is located at 5305 Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island and is open from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm. on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Food items from all major food groups including fruits and vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy are distributed. Currently, 140 registered households rely on the Food Pantry to supplement essential dietary need.
For more information, please contact the church at 843-559-2442.
SWEETGRASS GARDEN CO-OP
The mission of the Sweetgrass Garden Co-op (SG), as a 501c3 not-for-profit Corporation, is to provide free, fresh, naturally grown, local produce to charitable food distribution agencies on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island. Volunteers cultivate a variety of fruits and vegetables, using sustainable methods and good agricultural practices and partners educate the public about farming, composting, beekeeping, and distributing food to people in need.
Contact Jennifer Wicker at
843-330-7164 or Click Here for additional information.
TEMPLE TAKE-OUT MINISTRY
Temple Take-Out Ministry is an outreach program of Wesley United Methodist Church which is located at 2718 River Road, Johns Island. The Temple Take-Out Ministry is now in its fifth year of providing hot meals to seniors, 65 or older in need or with disabilities, living in the communities of Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. On the second Sunday of each month, meals are delivered to individual homes by volunteers.
For additional information, please call Wesley UMC, 843-557-0316, and leave a message for Mary Hill.
PHOTO GALLERY
NEWS
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DONATE
Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation is so grateful to all who have
supported our mission to Fight Island Hunger with Healthy Food and Clean Water
One Meal at a Time. We are an all-volunteer organization and take pride in the
fact that our overhead expenses for all our programs is less than 5%. Thank you
for your continued support.
Please join us!
Sea Islands Blessing Basket and many of our partners are always in need of volunteers to help sort and pack food, deliver baskets, call clients to remind them of various events, interview new applicants and help with necessary paperwork.
SIHAF’s volunteer coordinator is Louise Baucom. Reach her at Louise.Baucom@gmail.com
VOLUNTEER
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SIHAF HONORARY BOARD
Jada Phillips, Martha Allen, Renee Black, Peter & Mary Conway
Carmine DeGennaro, Bonnie & Jerry Kelly, Mary Whyte
Contact Us
Contact Form
OTHER INFORMATION
Food Distribution
Sites
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Required
Info
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Public Notification Statement
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