Low Country, South Carolina — Millions of Americans are losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits this month, leaving many wondering where they will get their next meal. More than 500,000 individuals in South Carolina have been affected.
Lindsey Barrow, Jr., CEO and creator of Lowcountry Street Grocery, stressed the gravity of the matter, adding, “We’re talking about kids mostly, right?”
Barrow’s organization aims to make the local food system more egalitarian and resilient. They created a fundraiser to help people who have lost their benefits, raising more than $27,000 so far.
“We decided to take matters into our own hands,” Barrow stated, inviting the community to participate.
Aaliya Brockbank, a community member, has also stepped forward, offering to sponsor a needy family through a TikTok post. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation, saying, “The fact that so many people go hungry, you know, children, the elderly, and the disabled, while there are so many people who have a lot of money is just really unacceptable.”
“Any month would be devastating, but especially in November being Thanksgiving it was extra heartbreaking,” Brockbank told me. “I just wanted to do anything I could to help during this hard time.”
As the demand for food and supplies grows, Lowcountry residents and businesses are doing everything they can to assist. “If there’s a chance to reach out and help someone, we need to do that, because what else do we have?” Barrow spoke.
More information on how to get involved with Lowcountry Street Grocery is available here.
Brockbank is still looking for a family to sponsor and encourages anyone who is interested to contact her via social media at @changeforgoodxxv.
