ISSAC J. BAILEY A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Outreach Farm a go-to for nonprofits
There are those who feed the hungry. And there are those who feed
those who feed the hungry.
The Outreach Farm, which raises cattle in Pawleys Island, is in the
latter group.
It supplied the meat that allowed area nonprofits to serve a couple
thousand meals in 2004. That number is up to 26,000 this year and
could hit 44,000 within three years if the group receives the support
it needs to continue growing.
The beef has helped feed kids at Teach My People, an educational
resource center, who often aren't provided the proper nutrition at
home, the homeless and working poor at Myrtle Beach Community Kitchen,
and at-risk boys at Tara Hall Home For Boys, among others.
"Our mission is to feed the hungry in South Carolina," said Steve
Lowe, president of the board of directors. "There is a serious need
for protein in the diets of a lot of hungry people. ... We are
specifically dedicated to supply beef because a lot of those
[nonprofits] can't afford meat."
The organization was born when Georgetown home builder Mike LoVullo
bought a few cows with a vision to raise enough beef to feed those at
the Friendship Place soup kitchen. The Outreach Farm hopes to be
self-sufficient even while expanding during five years but may need
help getting there.
Organizers plan to raise a separate herd of cattle, registered
Black Angus, which would be sold and the profits used to provide
operational funds to help more nonprofits in Horry, Georgetown and
Williamsburg counties through beef donations.
It will take $6,000 to replace cattle and to make the new
investment. The farm can also use help with its $200,000 annual
budget.
"Over six percent of households in South Carolina have very low
food security, which means they are unable to sustain normal eating
patterns," Lowe said. "This is the highest percentage in the United
States. ... We have only scratched the surface in the amount of food
we need to supply to meet the needs of the hungry in South Carolina."
The group is hosting a fundraiser next month, the third annual '"Til
the Cows Come Home" 5-K run and walk, which includes a 100-yard tot
trot and a 300-yard run for older kids.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m. Nov. 10 at Precious Blood
Catholic Church in Pawleys Island. It costs $20 per adult and $5 for
children, with proceeds to benefit the Outreach Farm. For more
information, call 235-6967 or visit
www.outreachfarm.org.
ONLINE | For past columns and to read Bailey's
blog, go to MyrtleBeachOnline.com.
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