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Harvest Hope Food Bank receives $3,090 donation from Woodforest Charitable Foundation.

24-April, 2012

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COLUMBIA, SC –Woodforest Charitable Foundation recently donated $3,090 to Harvest Hope Food Bank in support of their efforts to distribute food to underprivileged citizens.

The mission of Harvest Hope Food Bank is to provide for the needs of hungry people by gathering and sharing quality food with dignity, compassion and education.

Harvest Hope began in 1981 as the result of a shared vision of business leaders and the faith community who set out to provide for the hungry in Columbia. Since then Harvest Hope has increased its mission to feed the hungry across 20 counties of South Carolina. Harvest Hope distributed over 28 million pounds of food last year and fed approximately 38,000 people a week.

From our simple beginnings, Harvest Hope has continued to increase the scope of its operations and now provides food, comfort and hope to hungry individuals and families in the Midlands, Pee Dee and Greater Greenville regions of South Carolina. Harvest Hope Food Bank served 1.9 million individuals throughout its service area in fiscal year 2011-2012. To assist in identifying pockets of poverty and hunger across 20 South Carolina counties and the distribution of food to hungry people across its service area, Harvest Hope partners with 476 member non-profit agencies.

Today, 64% of school children across the 20 county service area qualify for free and reduced price breakfast and lunch. In some areas, such as Darlington or Marion counties, 80% of children depend on these programs for their meals. Harvest Hope provides food for these children through the Kids Café and BackPack programs, which offer meals and highly nutritional snacks for children after school.

“Hunger is a problem that ultimately affects all of society. Right now, 30% of children under the age of 5 live in poverty in South Carolina. An infant that suffers from hunger – a small one without any provision for nutrition – is an infant that we must help. And you have made it possible for us to help them. Thank you for being a champion for our hungry children,” said Denise Holland, CEO of Harvest Hope Food Bank.

For more information about Harvest Hope Food Bank, please call (803) 254-4432 or visit www.harvesthope.org.

The Woodforest Charitable Foundation was created by Woodforest National Bank in 2005 as a direct result of its desire to support and invest in the communities in which it serves.  The Foundation is creating a legacy of commitment to those in need, enriching lives and communities through dedicated leadership and faithful administration by providing funding to qualifying 501(c) (3) charities. For additional information regarding The Woodforest Charitable Foundation, call (832) 375-CARE (2273) or visit the foundation’s website at www.woodforestcharitablefoundation.org.

Celebrating 32 years of service and ranked among the top earning banks in the United States, the Woodforest family of banks currently has assets of approximately $3.7 billion and services more than 1 million customers with branches in excess of 780 throughout 17 states:  Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.  For information about Woodforest National Bank, please call 832-375-2000 or visit the bank’s website at www.woodforest.com.