During the month of August, the North Myrtle Beach
Fire Department collected canned and non-perishable food goods in
support of Sea Haven’s “Combat Hunger” project. Members of the public
dropped food off at the City’s fire stations.
According
to North Myrtle Beach Firefighter/EMT Aaron Asbury, who helped manage
the Fire Department’s month-long food drive, the effort was a solid
success.
“We
thank everyone who donated food to this good cause,” Asbury said.
“Because of them, homeless and at-risk high school and middle school
students in our area will have food for the weekends. This will make all
the difference in their ability to continue to focus on achieving
success in their lives.”
Begun
in 2011, Sea Haven, Inc.’s Combat Hunger project focuses on providing
local homeless and at-risk high school and middle school students with
weekend food and informational materials. Combat Hunger currently
benefits homeless and at-risk students in six local high schools and two
middle schools. Backpacks containing food and informational materials
are delivered by Sea Haven staff and volunteers to the schools on
Friday, and school guidance counselors and other selected staff members
distribute the packs in confidence to the students in need.
The
students work hard in school, and school programs provide them with
breakfast and lunch during the school week, but they are on their own
during the weekends and during school vacation periods, and that is when
Sea Haven’s Combat Hunger project plays a crucial role. Without it,
many of the students will go home from school on Friday afternoon and
not have the opportunity to eat again until they return to school on
Monday.
While
some of the students helped by Combat Hunger are homeless, others are
not homeless but are part of low-income families that find it hard to
access food supplies or the students live in homes where others may
consume the little food there is, leaving students to fend for
themselves.
Sea
Haven, Inc., located at 3892 Highway 9 in Little River, is a nonprofit
organization that provides emergency crisis services for area youth ages
13-21. Its mission is to extend a helping hand to young people whose
lives may be in disarray. Through positive intervention Sea Haven
promotes opportunities for growth, learning, and happiness that might
not be available in the experiences of such children. Sea Haven’s
efforts are supplementary to existing public sponsored programs.
For more information about Sea Haven, Inc., visit http://www.seahaveninc.com or contact Wendy Gore, Development Director, Sea Haven, Inc., 843-399-8519.
