About Us

Help 4 Kids, Florence is an all-volunteer 501c3 organization with a mission to fill the weekend hunger gap of children attending public schools who are receiving free or reduced breakfast/lunch meals during the week and who are identified as being “food insecure” on the weekends. (Meaning they may or may not have enough food to avoid hunger.)

The idea to feed hungry children began in 2013 in a Women’s Bible study group which Diane Welsh and Allie Walker were attending. They were studying the book of James.

“What good is it my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14)

“If one of you says to him, ’Go, I wish you well,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:16)

So, with four volunteers, one generous donor, and a donated workspace, Help 4 Kids, Florence began serving 193 weekly bags of food to six Florence District One schools. Volunteers from St. John’s and New Ebenezer Baptist gathered once per week to pack and deliver the bags of
food. By 2015, Help 4 Kids, Florence, served 2,400 children weekly in all five Florence school districts and seven Head Start programs. In 2019, H4KF added pantries in two middle schools and two high schools. This increased the number by 75. (H4KF provides all the food for the pantry and the school liaison gives the food out on Fridays.) Presently we have approximately 110 volunteers who gather each week at our donated warehouse space located at 2420 Hoffmeyer to pack bags for our food insecure children. Then “runner” volunteers pick up the packed bags and deliver them to the schools to be distributed to the children on Friday.

Help 4 Kids, Florence receives no federal, state, county, or city funds. We operate on funds provided by the generous community in which we live. H4KF relies completely on monetary and/or food donations from individuals, businesses, churches, service clubs, grants, and foundations within our community. $20 feeds a child for one month and $200 feeds a child for a year.

Contact Information:

Help 4 Kids Florence – Mailing address                Help 4 Kids Florence – Warehouse
252 S Dargan St                                                           2420 Hoffmeyer Rd.
Florence, SC 29506                                                     Florence, S.C.  29501

E-mail: help4kidsflorence@gmail.com

Phone: 843-580-4111