Nourishment for the spirit as well as for the body helped to sustain needy families within several of South Carolina’s counties recently through the Wounded Warrior Project’s assistance with the regional Harvest Hope Food Bank.
The outreach effort succeeded in some unexpected ways, according to participant Laura Efrid, whose husband is an Army veteran. She and other community members who assisted with food distribution discovered the project lent itself to meaningful bonding with recipient families, some of whom had faced hard times and welcomed the extra support.
"Helping at a food bank … was a very rewarding experience,” Efrid said, noting that troops’ family members responded readily. "I was talking to the spouse of a wounded warrior [who] was so discouraged in her home life and dealing with her husband and his post-traumatic stress disorder. I shared some of my experiences, and it really helped her."
With several branches throughout South Carolina, the nonprofit food bank furnished farm-donated vegetables, disposable utensils and canned goods to beneficiaries in 20 different counties.
"The highlight of the event was the instant camaraderie shared by the warriors and their family members," said Army veteran Steven Dobbs. "It was easy to give of our time when a quick bond forms and organizes the volunteers."
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