Healthy eating: Refrigerators provided to Orangeburg County schools

The Tiffany Grant Foundation donated the refrigerators to elementary schools across the Orangeburg County School District as part of the Shared Tables Initiative.

“It makes sure these babies get the nutrients they need and promotes healthy eating while storing food at safe temperatures,” Orangeburg County Councilwoman Latisha Walker said.

The Shared Table initiative aids in reducing food insecurity by encouraging consumption of nutritious foods and reducing food waste. Instead of throwing unwanted food away, students can place it in the refrigerator for someone else.

“Students can either get seconds or they can take those food items home with them at the end of the day,” Walker said.

The refrigerators are placed in cafeterias, allowing students easy access.

The refrigerator donations were funded by the Tri-County Health Network and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Walker is the founder of the Tiffany Grant Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the legacy of her late sister, Tiffany Grant.

The foundation focuses on supporting the community through youth empowerment and assisting vulnerable populations. Foundation programs include Project Warm Streets and the Summer Youth Enrichment Program.

Project Warm Streets works with law enforcement and the community to provide food, blankets, hygiene products, housing and job opportunities for the homeless. The Summer Youth Enrichment Program offers weeklong life skills training.

The first refrigerator was delivered to Sheridan Elementary School on Thursday, July 25.

Principal Aisha Williams said the Shared Tables Initiative is particularly beneficial to Sheridan because it’s a Title I school. Title I schools receive federal assistance to help low-income students.

“We have a pretty high poverty rate, so it’s going to impact all of our students,” Williams said.

The Alpha Omicron Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated assisted with the refrigerator delivery. The chapter adopted Sheridan Elementary School during the 2023-2024 school year.

Members serve the school by donating school supplies, providing gifts for teachers, reading to students and assisting with career day.

“Anytime that they need anything, we give them supplies,” Karla Glover said.

“A lot of children don’t have the resources at home. Some of their meals only come from the school. It’s important to have food available and not waste food. There are children in this situation that don’t get regular meals like children should: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks,” Glover continued.

Food insecurity in children is a statewide problem.

Data from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap Initiative shows that 1 in 6 South Carolina children faced hunger in 2022.

It also shows that 30.6% of Orangeburg County’s children were considered food insecure that year. Food insecurity is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as lacking access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life, according to Map the Meal Gap.

Schools across the state benefit from programs like the National School Breakfast Program, Farm to School Program, Summer Break Café and the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program.

The S.C. Food Security Council released a report in January identifying three gaps in service: access to healthy food, lack of coordination and cost.

Of the 16 recommendations brought forward by the council, two were directed toward reducing food insecurity among school-aged children.

The FSC recommended that local communities work with the S.C. Department of Education to raise awareness of the Summer Food Program Service, Summer Break Café. In 2023, the program served 1.4 million meals across the state while school was out.

The council also recommended that the state implement a Summer EBT Program in 2025. The proposal would allocate $40 per month to eligible students during the three months of summer.

“These children deserve access to healthy food. I am happy to help anyway I can,” Walker said.