What: FoodShare South Carolina provides 9 to 11 healthy fruits and vegetables in their Fresh Food Box, along with recipe cards, tips, and nutrition notes. The boxes come in large (18-22lbs) for $25 cash and small (15-18 lbs) for $20 cash. Also offered is a 10-14 lbs “No Cook” box for $15 cash. Boxes are offered at an additional discount for SNAP recipients through the “Healthy Bucks” program—$10 for a big box, $5 for a small box.
Where: FoodShare operates in 23 South Carolina counties, with the reach of those locations extending beyond the borders of those counties. The goal is to get FoodShare statewide and into every rural county.
When: The effort that would become FoodShare began as a research project at USC School of Medicine in 2015. So many of the patients seen at USC were diabetic or pre-diabetic, dealing with heart disease or obesity, and the question was posed—what if these patients were treated with healthy food? What began as a small research project to measure the impact of healthy foods has become a hugely successful, nearly statewide effort.
Why: Healthy food is extremely expensive. Heavily processed food is quick, cheap, and easy, and it isn’t hard to see why so many people in South Carolina fall into ill health due to poor diet. In addition, many South Carolinians live in food deserts where their access to produce is limited. Transportation challenges are another complicating factor. Housebound seniors, people without access to a reliable vehicle, and those at the mercy of an inadequate busing system struggle to get to produce. FoodShare aims to bridge the gap between the people in need and the healthy food that will improve their lives.
Who: Anyone can order FoodShare boxes, either online or in person at a FoodShare location. SNAP recipients can make use of the “Healthy Bucks” program to get an additional discount.
How: One of the key drivers of FoodShare’s success is the South Carolina Healthy Bucks program. This allows SNAP recipients to obtain additional fresh fruits and vegetables when they use their SNAP benefits to purchase fresh produce from FoodShare and other participating Healthy Bucks Vendors. SNAP recipients who purchase at least $5 with their SNAP EBT card at FoodShare receive $15 in Healthy Bucks incentive to pay for the balance of the Fresh Food Box. This, in turn, allows the household to have more available to spend on other food necessities, such as milk, bread and proteins.
FoodShare also seeks grant money. For example, the “No Cook” Box was made possible by a $10,000 grant from the city of Columbia to address college student food insecurity, and The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $180,000 to support Upstate FoodShare hubs.
Some of those who are receiving FoodShare boxes have come through programs such as Veggie Rx (physician-prescribed produce) or are receiving transportation assistance through the NeighborShare program (where neighbors help neighbors by delivering FoodShare boxes).
ProTips: With a goal of providing produce statewide, FoodShare is actively seeking partners to open hubs in their own communities. FoodShare provides branding, the boxes and the materials that go into the boxes (recipe cards, etc.), along with the financial systems, database, technical support, and a wholesale price point on produce.
Per FoodShare’s website, “Improving fresh food access for vulnerable and underserved communities should be a significant part of the host organization’s mission. The program is seeking a host organization (Churches, community organizations, or other nonprofit) with a demonstrated understanding of the intersections of racial, economic, and environmental justice, that is committed to transformative change.”
Meaningful Stats: In 2015, when FoodShare first started in Richland County, 36 boxes were packed with fruits and vegetables the first week of operation. Today, between 700 and 950 boxes are packed bi-weekly in Richland County with over 80,000 boxes distributed statewide in 2023 by the additional county hubs..
FoodShare has 68 partner sites in Richland County to help distribute Fresh Food Boxes.
In addition to providing produce, FoodShare also offers medical learners and professionals at the University of South Carolina Columbia School of Medicine a Culinary Medicine program teaching nutrition science and culinary skills. These classes are taught at the FoodShare teaching kitchen, located in the new Columbia headquarters. Currently, 20% of death amongst American adults are caused by diet-related illnesses.
SNAP/EBT users will soon be able to order their FoodShare boxes online. The program will launch in Columbia and then spread throughout the state.