Tourist food donation program

As visitors prepare to leave Hilton Head Island, many are making one final stop before heading home: a food donation bin.

The effort is part of Second Helpings’ Post-Vacation Food Donation program, which encourages travelers to donate unopened, nonperishable food rather than discard it at the end of their stay. Now entering its fourth year, the program is continuing to expand across the island.

Second Helpings expects to have 24 donation bin locations available at resorts, businesses and community sites throughout Hilton Head.

“People don’t want to throw good food away. They just need an easy way to make sure it goes somewhere meaningful,” said Amy Colin, executive director of Second Helpings.

The program targets a common vacation dilemma. Travelers often purchase groceries for a weeklong stay but are left with unopened items they cannot take home when it is time to depart. Instead of throwing those items away, visitors can place them in designated collection bins. Second Helpings collects the donations and distributes them through local food pantries and soup kitchens.

According to the organization, all food donated through the program remains on Hilton Head Island. The donations help support more than 1,400 people each week through Second Helpings’ network of nonprofit partners.

The initiative has also grown through partnerships with resorts, vacation properties and local businesses that host collection bins.

Visitors and residents can find a complete list of donation locations through Second Helpings at www.secondhelpingslc.org. Additional collection sites are expected to be added during the season.