NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — Veteran support groups say more than 200 former service members in the Lowcountry seek food assistance each month, a number advocates say is being driven even higher by new federal work requirements and changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility.
Those changes are pushing more veterans toward local food support efforts, like Free Pantry Friday, a community-run pantry aimed at filling the gap.
For Vietnam War veteran Samuel Singleton Jr., the help means more than food.
“I’ve been through a lot. I lost all of my family members, and I didn’t have nobody,” Singleton said. “So they helped me, and now I got people that’s looking out for me.”
Singleton arrived at the pantry empty-handed but left with bags filled with food, toiletries, and household essentials.
“Some of the folks don’t have the proper toiletries or food, and they supply it for our veterans,” he said. “I fought in Vietnam, and I’ll tell you — it was a real hell of a story.”
Organizers say stories like Singleton’s reflect a growing need across the Lowcountry. Local support groups estimate more than 150 veterans call each month seeking food assistance.
Kelly Carroll, founder of Free Pantry Friday, has been answering those calls for nearly eight years.
“Showing up for eight years, you get to know them. You learn a lot,” Carroll said. “They probably taught me more than I could’ve ever imagined — about the good and bad of being a military veteran, but also about humanity.”
Carroll works alongside RJ’s Mission Foundation and PRN staffers to distribute food, toiletries, and hot meals. On pantry days, veterans line up to receive canned goods, pantry staples, household supplies and a full-course meal.
RJ Swift, with RJ’s Mission Foundation, says partnerships with local businesses help stretch limited resources.
“We do about 60 solid meals, and we’ve learned to become partners with local businesses,” Swift said. “Once you learn how to budget and buy in bulk, you can stretch the dollar as far as it can go.”
As calls for help continue coming in, Carroll says her team has no plans to slow down.
“They sacrifice an awful lot — themselves, their families, their lives — for us,” she said.
For organizers, that’s why showing up week after week matters — because Lowcountry veterans, they say, are more than just a statistic.
If you want to support veterans, donate, volunteer or collaborate, visit the Free Pantry Fridays at Patriot Villas Facebook page here.
Local veterans find support and community through Free Pantry Friday
