Duke Energy gives grants to Carolinas Kids and the Hartsville Soup Kitchen
PICTURED HERE (left to right): Frank Bush, Sue Brand, Frankie Bush, Gregory Rogers, and Lauren Baker. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Carolinas Kids received a $2,500 grant from Duke Energy. PICTURED HERE (left to right): Trevor McDonald, Lauren Baker, Sharon Ledbetter, Robert Kilgore, Jacqueline Woods, Andrea Campbell and Jamie Hoffman. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
As thoughts turn to the holidays and gatherings with families around dinner tables, it’s important to support the organizations who do great work to fight hunger in Darlington County.
The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded surprise grants to Carolina’s Kids and the Hartsville Soup Kitchen to support the operations of their feeding programs. Carolina’s Kids was awarded a $2,500 grant to support their food program for students in the Darlington County School District. The Hartsville Soup Kitchen was awarded $5,000 for their soup kitchen and food pantry efforts serving the greater Hartsville area.
This grant was a surprise and not solicited by either organization. This “surcee” grant works to recognize the important gaps the agencies fill in the community they serve.
“If you grew up in South Carolina, you likely know that a surcee is a small and unexpected gift,” said Lauren Baker, community relations liaison for Duke Energy. “As we head into the holiday season, we hope this gift will help support the great people who work so hard year-round to help keep our neighbors from going hungry.”
In the Palmetto State, 1 in 10 people, including more than 150,000 children, face hunger. This disparity is pervasive, and food insecurity occurs in every county within the state.
This gift is a part of a larger monthlong initiative by Duke Energy that will provide over $325,000 to more than 40 feeding programs leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday and culminating in final surprise grant announcements on Giving Tuesday.
Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts, and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.
