The first version of “Thanksgiving” was a  1621 harvest feast that included the Pilgrims of  the Plymouth colony and Native Americans. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day.  Congress later established the holiday as the fourth Thursday of November.

In West Columbia, the spirit of Thanksgiving is abundant. There are many who make an effort to help those who don’t have enough food, get something to eat. That effort intensifies around Thanksgiving.
“We see a spike in more of a need for food around the holidays,” said West Columbia Police Chief Marion Boyce.

Because the officers of the WCPD see the need in the communities they patrol, the West Columbia Police Department has a tradition of helping those struggling to get enough to eat, especially around the holidays.

The West Columbia Police Department held a “Stuff a Tahoe” food drive on Nov. 8. It was held, with volunteers from Lexington School District Two,  at Walmart on Augusta Road. The food drive resulted in the filling of several Police Tahoes and a truck with groceries. The food was given to Lexington School District 2. Representatives of the school district are distributing  the food to the families of students in need.

Boyce said the West Columbia Police Department also participates in Bountiful Harvest, an event at the Icehouse Pavilion held in Lexington Wednesday with Serve and Connect.  At Bountiful Harvest police officers helped pack Greg’s Groceries holiday food boxes with other area law enforcement officers and community partners.  The event is open to anyone who needs holiday groceries and a turkey. There were 300 food boxes and 500 turkeys available for distribution. Recipients lined up before the distribution of boxes, Wednesday morning. 

Chief Boyce also said the WCPD distributes Greg’s Groceries holiday food boxes in West Columbia to families when there is a need. 

WCPD Officers Vince Barber and Tommy Todd were representing the WCPD at a booth at the Bountiful Harvest event Wednesday. Barber said police officers work with social service personnel to identify food needs in the community and get that food to those who need it. 

Jeff Jones, of the West Columbia-based Scooter Scott Project, was at the Icehouse event. He said his organization delivers 100 to-go boxes to Lexington Two School student families in West Columbia. The Scooter Scott Project also delivers 50 food boxes that feed a family of four. The families chosen for the food are recommended by social workers from the local schools. In all, Jeff said at least 300 people are fed by the effort.

In addition to the WCPD, West Columbia churches are dependable resources in the effort to feed those in need. 

The Grace Baptist Church Food Pantry is at 1700 Platt Springs Road. Teresa Carr is the director. 

“We serve 45-to-50 families and individuals a week,” Teresa said. She said the number of families served around the holidays increases.

“We have seen a rise in the number of people coming to the food pantry,” Teresa said. “The recent threat of the loss of SNAP Benefits was a reason we saw more traffic at the food pantry. We had 68 who came that week.”

Teresa said the food pantry is stocked through food donations and monetary donations from the church. Members of the church’s Youth Group volunteers to sort and distribute the food, along with other adult church members.   

There are other food distribution points for the needy in West Columbia. Below some are listed:

Sunset Food Distribution program Sunset Boulevard Church of Christ- 1303 Sunset Blvd, West Columbia, 29169 – Fresh Produce Box Distribution Partnership with Harvest Hope Food Bank and BLEC

There will be a distribution of fresh produce boxes (20 lbs) for individuals and families in need on Dec. 14, from 9 am -12 pm at the Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center, 1218 Batchelor St., West Columbia. Additional Services include Senior Supplemental Boxes (in addition to the Fresh Produce boxes). 

For more information, please contact Rev. Mardell Whyte at (803) -744-7943 or via email at [email protected] or [email protected]

Grace Baptist Church  Food Pantry, at 1700 Platt Springs Road, West Columbia, offers quality food items to households experiencing food insecurity. This program supplies critical nutrition. Serving anyone in need all ages, individuals and families

The Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center’s emergency food pantry provides quality food items to households experiencing food insecurity. This program supplies critical nutrition to the hungry.
Serving all ages individuals families limited English emergency
 Call 803-744-7949
1218 Batchelor Street, West Columbia, SC 29169
 Open: 9 AM – 5 PM