Two months ago in November, Colleton River Club was honored by the Bluffton Food Bank with a plaque to express their deep appreciation for our ongoing support. It was a special moment that brought our members together in the Ballroom, where we had the chance to meet the Food Bank’s Leadership Team, hear their inspiring stories, and ask questions about how the Food Bank operates and helps so many families in our community.

Our food collection first started as a grassroots effort to help our surrounding community in need during the pandemic in 2020. To date, our members have generously donated 20,000+ bags of non-perishable groceries for the Food Bank in Bluffton, which they now rely on to serve over 400 families weekly. In fact, we’ve been told by the Food Bank’s Leadership Team that most weeks they run out of requested items (usually cereal!) and must stop bagging until our truck arrives.  They always know we will fill their needs!

The idea to collect donations for food started in April of 2020. Colleton River Women’s Bible Study group learned about God's Goods/Bluffton Food Bank and began collecting donations within our group. Soon, other members of our community heard about the effort and wanted to get involved. On Monday mornings, donors would drop off bags of food at the Nicklaus Clubhouse, and Colleton Member Kim Wilhite and I would load up our cars and drive them to the Food Bank.

Soon our cars were overflowing as donations grew to over 100 bags per week, so a family friend of Kim Wilhite began helping by loading and delivering the donations to the Food Bank in his truck.   

Eventually, the Food Bank found a way to make their God’s Goods Thrift Store truck and volunteers available to pick up donations directly from the clubhouse every Monday morning. It was a seamless process that allowed the effort to grow even more.

At this point, Colleton River member Grace Chu stepped in to help organize everything. She created a weekly email distribution list and coordinated volunteer drivers to pick up donations right from our members’ doorsteps. This simple system worked so well that it enabled our donations to continue growing. When Grace was elected to the Colleton River Board, I took over the email coordination and scheduling, but the spirit of the effort remained the same.

How Can You Get Involved? 

If you’d like to join in this ongoing effort, it’s easy! Just email Kim Campbell at kimcampbell4@me.com to be added to the weekly distribution list. Each Monday, you’ll receive an email asking for donations. If you're able to contribute, just reply to the email and leave your non-perishable items on your front porch by 9 a.m. A volunteer driver will pick them up starting at 9:15 a.m. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported this cause over the years. 

Your generosity has made a real impact in the lives of families right here in our community. Thank you for your continued kindness and for helping us keep this heartwarming tradition going strong.

In 1998 Father Owens was walking through the church on the historic campus. He noticed a woman sitting in a back pew with a coat pulled up over her head. He asked if he could help her or pray for her.

She said her name was Katie Mahoney and her father in Ireland had just passed away and she could not get back. She said she had just been to 2 catholic churches and their doors were locked. She found her way to Calhoun Street and walked into The Church of The Cross where Father Owens found her. She told him that when she was a child in Ireland her family was very poor, and her mother and father went to church to beg for food.

After meeting Father Owens, she began to regularly attend The Church of The Cross.

A couple of months later, she asked to meet with Father Owens and asked for permission to start a food pantry. Recalling her childhood she did not want any children in the Bluffton/HHI area to go hungry. Father Owens agreed and now 26 years later it's going strong with over 75 active volunteers and over 300-to-400 families coming each week for their groceries in recent weeks.

Maybe you heard the story of the man who was in the parish hall when Father Owens came in and started talking to him. The man said he was originally a guest in need of food and is now a volunteer. He was treated with love and respect as a guest, and he has been treated with love and respect as a volunteer. He told Father Owens that if he saw the priest in charge to let him know how much he appreciates the church.

 The food bank officially started on 9/11, and the volunteers spent the entire day praying with the guests about them and the country.

The Food Bank Ministry's goal is to provide nutritious food to nourish the bodies, and the mind and spirit with the Gospel and prayers of all who hunger, ensuring that no one in our community goes to bed hungry. We also provide traditional grocery items for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

To join this ministry or learn more about how you can assist with this outreach, contact George Stephani, foodbank@thechurchofthecross.net.