Cans and cash needed at The Lord Cares
The Lord Cares volunteers Mary Hodge and Frank Helms. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES
By Samantha Lyles
Staff Writer
slyles@newsandpress.net
When Darlington food bank The Lord Cares reopened recently, they set about replenishing the donation pantry to feed hungry members of the community, and now they’re asking for help to keep the larder full.
Frank Helms, The Lord Cares Board member and pantry volunteer, says these food needs are foremost: canned meat products (Spam, Treet, etc.), beef stew, chili, soup, canned fruit, fruit cups, spaghetti sauce, yams, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, grits, rice, dried beans and peas, and kid-friendly canned pasta products like Chef Boyardee and SpaghettiOs.
“These don’t need to be brand name items,” says volunteer and Board of Directors member Mike Beckham. “Store brands and generic brands are good, too.”
Size matters when it comes to canned goods. Both Helms and Beckham ask that donations be around the standard 15-ounce-can size, as it’s difficult for most clients to work with large industrial-sized cans of vegetables or other food items.
Hygiene needs are also pressing, with many people needing soap and toilet tissue in particular.
School supplies, such as composition books, pencils and pens, are in short supply as well.
Beckham says that many clients have been out of work during the pandemic, and in addition to food and toiletries, they are asking for emergency assistance with utility bills.
“Even though Duke Energy, Pee Dee Co-Op and others have given them some leeway, we’re starting to see people playing catch-up and trying to avoid having services cut off. A lot of them are coming in and saying they’re a month or two months behind,” says Beckham.
Since The Lord Cares is a registered 501(c)(3) charity, all donations are tax deductible.
If you need assistance, please visit TLC in person and apply for help. While the pandemic persists, face coverings are mandatory for all visitors, clients and volunteers.
To learn more about their services or to make a donation, call 843-395-1001 or visit them at 201 Grove St. in Darlington. The Lord Cares is open from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.