Clover Center bringing mobile food pantry to Fort Mill area

Community service groups aren’t taking the summer off this year. For them, and groups they serve, summers are too important.

At Clover Area Assistance Center, new living basics classes are being piloted in June and July. Classes begin June 15, covering everything from couponing strategies and grocery store sales cycles to credit fraud protection, nutritious meal planning and online discount hunting. They last a little more than an hour each and reservations are recommended, though not just for CAAC clients.

Classes are for “anyone who feels they could benefit” from the information.

“Clover Area Assistance Center offers a number of services to the general public that are not based on income level and are open to anyone in need,” said Karen van Vierssen, CAAC director. “You do not need to be a client at CAAC to participate.”

The same goes for five-minute benefit bank quick checks, where volunteers can help residents through a statewide database to see what benefits may be available without need of personal information. If potential clients want, volunteers then can help them through the application process for Medicaid, food stamps or other programs without leaving the Clover office.

Someone from Carolina Community Actions can help with assistance for heating and cooling at the center. An information meeting at 11:45 a.m. June 8 brings a patient advocate from Welvista, which provides assistance for a free mail order for prescriptions.

Groups outside CAAC see the need for summer assistance, too. Piedmont Medical Center has a cereal drive running through June 10 to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. The hospital is taking donations and matching financial donations up to $100,000. A cereal eating contest is planned for noon June 9 at the hospital.

“We recognize the impact hunger has on health and nutrition, and our staff is eager to make a difference,” said Christina Oh, hospital chief operating officer.

“We recognize the importance of beginning each day with a nutritious breakfast and, through this drive, we hope to help the many in our community struggling with food insecurity.”

Groups like Second Harvest help feed communities throughout the year, but summer is a particularly important time. It often doesn’t have the large community drives common to holiday seasons. Many people who give may head out for vacation. But for many, hunger remains.

“Summer is a particularly difficult time for our food bank because many children in need can no longer rely on their school meals for a nutritious breakfast, so their families often turn to us for help,” said Kay Carter, Second Harvest CEO.

Second Harvest has 10 York County and Indian Land mobile pantry events this summer, where a truck with thousands of pounds of food arrives and volunteers pass it out to community members in need. They include Unity Presbyterian Church in Fort Mill July 13, Flint Hill Baptist July 27 and Belair UMC in Indian Land Aug. 30.

The closest to Lake Wylie are June 7, July 19 and Aug. 9 dates at New Home AME Zion Church at 3290 Charlotte Hwy. For more on the Second Harvest programs, visit secondharvestmetrolina.org.

For more on CAAC programs, call 803-222-4837 or email annherbertcaac@gmail.com.

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Clover Center bringing mobile food pantry to Fort Mill area."