North Charleston, South Carolina. Two young brothers from North Charleston are leading a community initiative to combat food insecurity, one Thanksgiving meal at a time.
Melo and Taj Amir Pierce, together with their grandfather, Chef Dwayne Pierce, held a Thanksgiving dinner handout at Daniel Jenkins Academy on Monday, providing 150 meals to students, families, and neighbors in need.
“We want other kids to see that there are some positive things in the community,” said Chef Pierce, who co-organized the event with his grandkids.
According to the organizers, the event aims to encourage young people by demonstrating what giving back looks like in action.
“Children learn by example,” said Maria McKnight, an event organizer and school volunteer. “For them to come out and give their time, it would enhance other young people to see it’s better to give than receive.”
The Pierce brothers gathered donations, assisted with food preparation, and cheerfully distributed meals.
“Our favorite thing about this event is having fun,” they told us.
They also explained why giving back is important to them.
“You have to give people food,” Melo remarked.
“And save the community from being homeless and helping them out,” Taj ended up saying.
A Family’s Mission To Help Others
Chef Pierce says the Thanksgiving handout is just one component of a much larger project that he wants to continue year-round.
“We are doing this for Thanksgiving, but the message I wanted to send is we need to do this consistently year-round,” he told me. “We should start having more good conversations. We need to start interacting with each other more. This is a low-income community, yet the people are wonderful.”
He also stated that the brothers are gaining skills for life and business.
“We wanted to show the young people in this community that entrepreneurs can be born early,” he told me. “These two young men own a piece of the LLC, so every time we do a catering job, they make money as children.”
Chef Pierce believes that the dinner distribution will inspire others to stand up and support their communities.
“We need to invest our time, our businesses,” he told me. “The community can see that someone out here cares about them. They are equally as essential as everyone else.
Featuring Daniel Jenkins Academy
The event also highlighted Daniel Jenkins Academy, Charleston County’s alternative program that assists children who require further support before returning to their home schools.
“We work with behaviors, attendance, and SEL—supporting the whole child,” said Principal Quintell Middleton. “When they are restored to their homeschool, the strategies taught here stay with them not only at school, but in future life decisions.”
Middleton explained that the school routinely collaborates with local mentors and offers monthly “lunch and learn” sessions to expose students to careers, military alternatives, and motivational speakers.
According to Assistant Principal Latasha Edwards, the school also hosts frequent food handouts.
“Each month we have food giveaways every second Thursday here at Daniel Jenkins,” she told me. “We give out groceries to the community, and everyone is welcome. “We never turn anyone around.”
A Message for the Community
As they packed up after the dinner delivery, the Pierce brothers shared a simple reminder with other kids and neighbors in the Lowcountry:
“Make good choices and be strong,” he told you.
The heart of his work is to empower his grandsons while also aiding others.
“Now we are giving them a foundation they can utilize when they get older,” he told me. “They can keep doing it, setting an example for other kids in the neighborhood, and demonstrating that not everything is unpleasant. There’s so much good here.”
